Wayward Wizardry
by Jase Shadowstar
Summary: HP/YGO X-over. Full summary inside. Voldemort has finally struck in a series of attacks that rocked the foundation of the magicial world...magic battle schoo..last piece of the puzzlel.. rewriting my other fic
1. Chapter 1 Visions of Blood

Author's Note: I am rewriting Wizards of the Ancient World, my other fic. I think this one will be a lot better. I'm trying to put more thought into this one.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Summary: Voldermort has finally struck and his attacks are rocking the magical world right down to its foundations. New alliances and enemies threaten to wipe out all resistance. But there is one thing that could make all the difference between victory and defeat, the last piece of the puzzle. Now both sides are on the search, a race against time to collect all seven Millenium Items and to utilize their ancient powers to claim the final battle.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"All students! Head to the Great Hall immediately, please!" The blare of the megaphone echoed through the halls and classrooms as the castle shook under another tremor.  
  
Harry grabbed at the railing, struggling not to tumble down the staircase. The earthquakes had started approximately ten minutes ago and had grown steadily worse with every spasm of the ground beneath their feet.  
  
"Harry!" Ron called. "Hurry!"  
  
"I'm trying! What in the world is going on?"  
  
The students of Hogwarts crowded into the Great Hall, pale, panicked faces filled with confusion. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore raised his hand for silence and the hall fell quiet instantly, something they almost never did.  
  
"The school is under attack," he announced in a calm voice. "All students must evacuate immediately. We have scheduled ministry wizards to take you home. Those of you who live with muggles can choose to go with one of your friends. Your things will be sent after you."  
  
The crowd burst into frightened whispers. It was unheard of that Hogwarts would become so unsafe. What was going on? The school had always been known as the haven from dark forces . . . If they could not rely on this, what could they rely on? What would happen to their families?  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione caught up to the other Weasleys and they stood in a knot, waiting. Four wizards in ministry robes appeared beside them.  
  
"Where to?" one of them asked, wand already in hand.  
  
"The Burrow."  
  
They nodded and took up positions around the group. With a muttered incantation they were gone.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Isis opened her eyes slowly, feeling the warm mettle of the Millenium Tauk around her neck. There had been another vision, this one worse than the last, so much worse, full of bloodshed and death.  
  
What puzzled her was the fact that the tauk was giving her visions at all. It had lost a great deal of power after Battle City, and it was only on rare occasions that she could get it to work. Now . . . now it was throwing visions at her every hour of every day and night. Every time she turned the corner she would see things, strange things, things she was only just beginning to understand.  
  
It bothered her, the feeling that accompanied the visions, the danger and desperation, and the sense that it concerned her brother and his friends. Worse, she couldn't do anything.  
  
In the past week or so, she had set to work, researching other branches of magic outside of Egypt. She had found more than she had bargained for from wizards and witches to schools that taught modern magic to capable students. To top it off she had discovered that the whole magical population was involved in a war that could destroy the world, as they knew it. She feared that somehow or other, the Item Holders would get involved. Malik and Yami Bakura were magnets for ill luck, trouble, and mischief.  
  
Isis sighed and reached for a pice of paper and a blue pen. She would write them, warn them to stay out of trouble. That was all in her power to do and she would have to be satisfied-for now.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was roughly one year since the Battle City incident and Yugi now lived with Ryou and Malik. The three had become good friends and, though their yamis still despised each other, they were learning to cope with one another's existence. They had flown to England for a well-earned vacation and currently were staying in a house owned by Ryou's father, who was at an archeological dig in Egypt. So the three teens and their others had the house all to themselves. This was fortunate for modern technology plus ancient Egyptian spirits equaled total mayhem.  
  
The first time their yamis had decided to try cooking, they had nearly burnt the house to the ground, thus leading Malik to ban them from the kitchen. The white-blonde Egyptian himself was, to the surprise of both his friends, an excellent cook.  
  
The doorbell rang and there was the sound of several magazines and various other items being shoved through the mail slot, hitting the hardwood floor with a loud slap.  
  
"I'll get it!" Yugi yelled as he came down the stars.  
  
He padded down the carpeted hall and bent to scoop up the pile of papers scattered on the bare floor before the front door. As he did so, an envelope caught his attention. The stamp held the picture of the Gizza Pyramids and the handwriting for the address was familiar.  
  
Yugi dumped the mail on the kitchen table and took a seat beside Ryou, picking up the envelope and examining it curiously. He had definitely seen the writing somewhere before, the words done in sapphire blue ink.  
  
"What's that and who's it from?" Malik asked, peering over Yugi's shoulder after setting several steaming plates down on the table's polished, circular surface. "Ishtar! Put that sword back on the wall! It belongs to Ryou's father and is an extremely valuable antique. Keep your hands off it unless you plan on paying for the damages!" Malik barked, catching sight of his darker lifting the gold-hilted blade from the straps that held it to its plaque on the hallway wall.  
  
Ishtar slid the weapon back into place and went upstairs looking sulky. Malik turned back to Yugi, satisfied.  
  
"I don't know. It doesn't say."  
  
"Well, open it," Ryou said, putting down his fork to join the other two.  
  
Just as Yugi was about to do so, they were interrupted by a loud crash from the floor above followed by a continuous flow of Egyptian curses. Ryou winced. Turning away he began walking toward the stars.  
  
"I'd better go see what they've done now."  
  
There was another loud crash complemented by the sound of breaking glass. Malik took off after Ryou and Yugi dropped the letter, running for the staircase. Whatever Bakura and Ishtar were up to upstairs, it sounded like something else in the house would need to be fixed or replaced. And, as always, it was going to be a very "eventful", very long day.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: If you have read my other fiction, please tell me what you think.  
  
Thank you for reading and please review! 


	2. Chapter 2 Invitation

Author's Note: Compared to my other Harry Potter cross, this one's plot is completely different. I do, however, use bits and pieces from my other story for this one.  
  
I agree, this fic is more detailed.  
  
Noe: Does anyone know what cards Malik has in his deck besides Ra?  
  
/ Hikari to Yami/Duel Monster /  
  
// Yami to Hikari/Duel Monster //  
  
[ Hikari to Hikari/Yami ]  
  
[[ Yami to Hikari/Yami ]]  
  
~ Malik to Ghoul ~  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Ryou let out his breath in a longsuffering sigh. The yamis never got a headache, but they always managed to give Ryou one. Why did he always get stuck with them while the other two went shopping for repairs? Malik should have been the one at home, not him. He had a way of getting through Ishtar and Bakura's incredibly thick skulls. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that his tongue was just as sharp, if not more so, then their own.  
  
What would he do if they tried to murder each other? It certainly wouldn't be the first time they'd tried. Or worse, if they decided to work together and cause some serious damage. The morning had already borne one broken window, a computer in blown up bits, and a vacuum cleaner cracked beyond all repair when Malik's yami had thrown it through the glass of said window.  
  
// Hikari! Come lend me a hand! //  
  
Here we go, Ryou thought. / In a moment, yami. /  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Ist that it?"  
  
Yugi consulted the list. "The lamp was the last. Do you want anything?"  
  
"No. I think we'd better get home-" He trailed off.  
  
The smaller teen glanced up, wondering what had interrupted him, following his gaze to the display case of a game shop. His blood ran cold. On a red, velvet cushion stuffed almost carelessly in the corner was a card. It was too far away for him to read the print, but the image was of a golden monster like a cross between a pheonix and a dragon.  
  
Malik produced his deck and selected a random card, knowing his hand would find the one he wanted. The Winged Dragon of Ra gazed back at him, a duplicate of the card behind the glass.  
  
"I don't suppose the shopkeeper would give it to us if we asked . . ." They didn't have enough money on them to buy it for sure.  
  
"He will if I have anything to say about it," Malik replied, one long- fingered hand digging into his pocket for his rod.  
  
"Wait!" Yugi grabbed his arm. "You can't do that!"  
  
"Why not? You know as well as I do what happens when you use a fake God Card! The gods themselves deal the punishment!"  
  
"Yeah, but," Yugi looked down, "it's not fair to him."  
  
"You're too noble," Malik said dryly. "How else do you propose to get it? It probably costs a fortune."  
  
"My, what do we have here?" A low, rasping voice sounded behind them like wood scraping sandpaper.  
  
They jumped. A thin, skeletal man in black robes leered down at them. The stranger smiled, a falsely friendly smile that revealed pointed teeth.  
  
[ Ghoul? ]  
  
[ Nope. ]  
  
"I notice that pendant of yours," he indicated Yugi's puzzle with his head, "appears to be quite valuable. I am a-collector-and was wondering if you would consent to selling it? I assure you I can pay you well."  
  
Yugi's hand curled protectively around his puzzle. "Sorry, sir, it's not for sale."  
  
Malik's sharp eyes caught a slight movement and he tensed.  
  
"Maybe I can persuade you . . ."  
  
[ Yugi, ] the urgency in the Egyptian's voice snagged his attention at once. [ Run. ]  
  
They ran and the man's knife missed the teens by millimeters.  
  
Just great, Yugi thought, plunging through the bustle on Malik's heels, another person after our Millenium Items. This is one game I'm not too eager to play.  
  
Back at their house Yugi unlocked the door and held it open while Malik threw the merchandise through. Then they hurried inside and shut it. Ryou came downstairs with a yawn.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Yugi pointed wordlessly to the Millenium Puzzle.  
  
"Another one? But I thought we'd taken care of everyone who knew about the Items1"  
  
"I think," Malik said briskly, striding toward the dining room. "We should read my sister's letter."  
  
"So it was from Isis? I should have guessed. No wonder the handwriting was familiar."  
  
Malik nodded, his face far more serious than was normal for him. "Who else in Egypt would bother writing to us?"  
  
A small pocketknife took care of the seal and he extracted a neatly folded piece of paper. Smoothing out the creases Malik began to read aloud, translating the Arabic into Japanese, which they could all understand. Isis must have been very worried, or she would have remembered to do so herself. She was fluent in many tongues including Japanese.  
  
"Lately, I have been troubled by visions of strange things, robed warriors fighting with monsters similar to those of the Shadow Realm with spells I have yet to uncover the meaning of. And in all these seeings, there is an abundance of blood and a snake-like man with slitted red eyes. I fear that nothing but evil will come to pass along this road of destiny, but it cannot be avoided. Be on your guard and stay out of mischief. Do not make any rash decisions, Malik, you especially. Be careful."  
  
Malik shook his head, feigning a sigh of exasperation. "She even scolds me in her letters. You'd almost think I spent every day running about the city murdering people and stealing them blind."  
  
"You used to," Ryou pointed out. "You can't blame her for being concerned."  
  
"Suspicious, you mean."  
  
There was a knock on the front door and the three fell silent.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Remus Lupin surveyed the houses on either side of the street. The power he had detected earlier was definitely around here somewhere.  
  
Since the incident with the Goblet of Fire, he had taken up being an auror, someone who tracked down servants of the Dark Lord. There had never been a werewolf in the profession and they had been hesitant to accept him, but even they had had to admit that a sense of smell and hearing better than any normal human's would be handy. And in these times, with the rising of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, another wand and defender was always welcome.  
  
After fighting and banishing a dementor, Lupin had felt the touch of magic. The auras had been ancient, older than any magician he knew to be in existence. Curious and reasoning that he should find the strange spellcasters before Voldemort got to them, Lupin had followed.  
  
He paused before a two-story, whitewashed building with a lush green lawn, beds of multicolored flowers, and-a vacuum? A window on the second floor was boarded over and a faint but steady stream of smoke floated from the chimney to join the thin wisps of cloud overhead. Treading cautiously up the driveway he stepped up to the front door and knocked three times on the oaken door.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
// Aibou? Is something the matter? //  
  
/ Someone's at the door. /  
  
// Is that bad? //  
  
/ Normally, no, but . . . /  
  
// But what, Yugi? //  
  
/ A stranger tried to kill Malik and I when we were out. /  
  
// What!? //  
  
/ Calm down, Yami. I'm answering the door. /  
  
Yugi felt his darker retreat into his soul room, and guessed that Bakura and Ishtar had done the same. They would be ready just in case.  
  
**********************  
  
Lupin blinked as the door swung open and a short boy with spiky red hair with black tips and gold bangs. Large, lavender eyes stared at him, lingering on the worn gray robes, gasped, and the door shut again. Perplexed, the werewolf knocked again.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
A muffled cry came through the wood. "What do you want?"  
  
"Just to talk. I promise I won't cause any problems. No need to be so worried."  
  
The door opened a crack. "You promise?"  
  
Lupin nodded.  
  
The house was comfortable and the feel of magic hung thick. By magical terms, it was like wading through a fast-flowing river against the current. The three boys formed a circle around him, tense and waiting. This was not going to be as easy as he had hoped.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Where," Mrs. Weasley's stern, suspicious voice froze them in their tracks, "do you five think you are running off to?"  
  
Ron gulped. "Um . . ."  
  
She eyed the brooms partially concealed in cloaks and loose robes. "You know your not allowed that far from the house, certainly not far enough for you to play quidditch without being noticed."  
  
"But, mom," Fred protested. "It feels like a prison in here!"  
  
"Yeah," George chipped in. "And you're the jailer. What is the point? Do you really expect You-Know-Who to turn up on the doorstep do you?"  
  
"And the ministry security is pretty strict. Why worry?"  
  
"Because," Molly answer acidly, "it is always better to be safe than sorry. If You-Know-Who were to attack, you would all be dead or captured before any ministry wizard could rais a wand. Go back upstairs and put those away."  
  
They obeyed, the boys grumbling loudly and Hermione trying to console them.  
  
Harry stored his Firebolt in his wardrobe and began pacing restlessly. Ron slumped on his bed, irritated.  
  
"We only wanted to go out for a few minutes! What's the big deal?"  
  
"Ron!" Hermione said, shocked. "Don't you care about our safety?"  
  
The freckled redhead was saved from answering by a tapping on the window. A white owl hopped across the sill, a roll of parchment clamped in its beak.  
  
"Hello, Hedwig,' Harry said. "What have you got for me?"  
  
The snowy owl dropped her burden and hooted softly. Harry picked it up and unrolled it.  
  
"It's from Sirius."  
  
The other two came over to listen.  
  
"Dear Harry, Albus is gathering all of us, the qualified teachers with unique talents,, to form another school, or battle camp if you please. We are calling all the students with any promise and we plan to train them. You are on the top of the list along with three other fifth-year Gryffindors and one Slytherin. Everyone can make their own choice, whether you join us or not is totally up to you. Hope to see you soon, Sirius."  
  
"What do you think, should we go?"  
  
"I don't know . . ." Hermione chewed her nails nervously. "I mean, it sounds very dangerous, doesn't it?"  
  
"Anything to get out of here," Ron intoned with feeling. "I wonder if someone can actually die of boredom?"  
  
The witch snorted. "Don't be silly. It's just an expression."  
  
"A school for defense against the dark arts," Harry said, thinking aloud. "It sure would be useful."  
  
"Yes, yes," Ron said impatiently. "Just send a message back saying we agree."  
  
Hermione was disgusted. "Honestly, you never stop to think do you?"  
  
Ron ignored her but she continued as if she hadn't heard. "And remember? Sirius said there would be at least on Slytherin there."  
  
The Weasley looked incredulous. "Why would they bring a Slytherin to a camp for defense against You-Know-Who? It's lke inviting spies."  
  
"Dumbledore would never bring people he knows we can't trust. And you said yourself just yesterday that the safest place in the world is where Dumbledore happens to be," Harry pointed out.  
  
The room went quiet while they pondered.  
  
"Let's go," Harry said, retrieving a clean parchment and loading his quill. "After all, when have we ever backed down from an adventure just because of a little danger?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Thank you for reading and please review!  
  
Oh, and Ishtar is Yami Malik. 


	3. Chapter 3 Misconceptions

AN: Thanks to all my reviewers. I've always been fond of Harry Potter/Yu- Gi-Oh crossovers too. ^_^ Though I'm not that good at writing them. I'd like to know what you guys like in these stories. Hope you like the chapter.  
  
NOTE: By the way, I apologize to those of you who like my other story for taking so long to update. I'm taking a while to get ideas, in other words, I'm a tad bit stuck.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Lupin, Yugi, and Ryou sat in the chairs arranged on three sides of the low, living room table while Malik sprawled across the couch. The Egyptian's seemingly lazy posture, Yugi knew, was only a deception. If anything went wrong, he would be ready to attack or defend instantly. The lavender-eyed teen himself, however, was not really worried anymore. If the man had been intending to hurt them, he would have tried already. And there was no hint of threat in his voice as he explained to them about modern magic.  
  
The Millenium Item Holders were familiar with magic, but only of the- more ancient varieties. The idea of present-day wizards and witches was news to them. And actually being able to use the wizardry could be- advantageous-as their dark counterparts put it. The yamis were eager for something new to compete at. And it would add one more weapon to their impressively large arsenal.  
  
On the other hand, though Malik loved danger and life-threatening situations, Yugi and Ryou were less than anxious to throw themselves into the middle of a magical war.  
  
[ You really don't expect me to believe that neither of you are the least bit tired of normal, everyday life, do you? ] Malik said incredulously. [ I mean, come on! How many times do you get a chance like this? ]  
  
[[ My point exactly, ]] Bakura remarked, backing him up. [[ Imagine what we could do with it. ]]  
  
[ That, ] Ryou muttered, [ is what concerns Yugi and I. ]  
  
[[ Malik and I can handle anything Ishtar and the Tomb Robber try to pull, ]] Yami assured him.  
  
The discussion continued in this fashion.  
  
Lupin observed their reactions keenly-the three appeared to be carrying on a conversation though no sound escaped their lips that he could catch. They were not at all what he had expected. None of them had so much as blinked when the werewolf levitated a cup of water and transformed a leaf into a bird for demonstration. But then, he supposed it would be hard not to notice anything with that much uncontrolled power. Where, for that matter, did all that power come from? It was certainly more than one mortal could contain without getting destroyed or suffering considerable pain.  
  
Finally, Yugi's eyes came back into focus and he gave the wizard a bright, cheery smile. "We accept your offer. When do we leave?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"How are we going to explain this to your parents? And what in the world is a Transfer Circle?"  
  
"The second is easy," Hermione replied. "Transfer Circles are a new invention. You see, the ministry decided port keys were too easy for You- Know-Who to intercept, so they created a substitute. They designate certain areas and set a time for those it's supposed to transport. All we have to do is make sure we're at the right place when our time comes and it'll bring us where we need to go. Better still, there are extra charms that cloak our disappearance from muggles as well as anyone branded with the Dark Mark."  
  
"Cool! So we don't need to worry about deatheates."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"Umm, Harry? Hermione?"  
  
"What is it, Ron?"  
  
"Sirius said that we're supposed to leave at six o'clock, right? Well, it's five thirty. That means we only have half an hour to say goodbye and find the circle."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Malik rummaged through his wardrobe, picking articles of clothing and flinging them over his shoulder to land in all manner of places in the room behind him. The final thing to emerge was a night black robe. Malik held it up and smirked.  
  
/ Ishtar, I thought my sister cleared all of these out. /  
  
// I hid one, // Ishtar replied smugly.  
  
Malik folded it and stowed it in the very bottom of his trunk, then began piling everything else into it. As the last piece of gold disappeared under the closed lid, an explosion rocked the house.  
  
"Bakura! You're not allowed in the kitchen! Now what are we going to say when Lupin comes back?"  
  
Ryou's almost hysterical shout was followed by the Pharaoh's angry bellow. "Tomb Robber! Do you care to explain yourself? You almost hit my hikari!"  
  
Malik ran down the stairs. Yami Bakura stood in the kitchen, white hair spiking out in all directions and flakes of plaster powdering the floor. Yami Yugi had taken over and stood glaring at the thief. And a flustered Ryou was examining a place in the wall where a chunk had been removed, a despairing expression on his face.  
  
Malik sighed in exasperation. "What was it this time?"  
  
"The microwave," Ryou explained, very upset. "And we've only just bought a new one last month."  
  
There was a popping sound and Professor Lupin apparated beside Yugi, who had regained control. He blinked.  
  
"Have I come at a bad time?"  
  
"Uh, no," Malik jumped in, seeing his friends' perturbed faces and guessing they were too preoccupied to come up with an excuse. No problem, he was a match for the Tomb Robber when it came to lying.  
  
Yugi listened with half an ear while Malik told the wizard about getting a new door put in or something of the like. He sensed something-a dark presence-and it was coming closer. Malik stopped in mid sentence, frozen and listening.  
  
Ryou flung the shutters of the kitchen window wide and peered out into the sky, darkening with gathering storm clouds. He gaped in disbelief and awe. "It-It's a dragon!"  
  
Yugi glanced at Malik and he raised an eyebrow. [ Don't look at me, I didn't summon anything. Why don't you ever look at Ryou when these things come up? ]  
  
[ Because I know Ryou knows better. ]  
  
"Now would be an excellent time to get going," Lupin interrupted, his forhead creased in worry. "You've all got your things? Good. Hurry and bring the stuff down to the living room. One wizard has no hope of fending off a dragon."  
  
Malik could move at incredible speeds when his life depended on it. Less than a minute later they were assembled in the living room along with their trunks. The Egyptian slipped a hand into his pocket to rest reassuringly on his deck. He hoped he wouldn't need it just yet. They would have a lot of explaining to do if a monster materialized out of nowhere, even to a wizard.  
  
Lupin took out what looked like a stick of wood and waved it. The next thing he knew, the world around them had vanished to be replaced by the dusky interior of a shabby pub.  
  
The place, Lupin thought, was a harsh reminder of the dark times that were upon them. Normally the Leaky Cauldron would be bustling with customers, but now it was all but deserted. Tom the bartender looked haggard and weary as he came around the counter to meet them.  
  
"Good day to you, Remus, and who may your companions be?"  
  
Yugi bowed politely. "I'm Yugi Motou, and these are my friends Ryou Bakura and Malik Ishtar."  
  
The bartender smiled tiredly. "I'm Tom and this is the Leaky Cauldron. You'll be getting your things then?"  
  
Lupin nodded.  
  
************************  
  
Severus Snape studied the three new students suspiciously from a crack in the door of his room. They were strange ones, and they weren't even trained wizards. Especially the tall one with bleached blonde hair. He looked downright dangerous. And how old did the werewolf say they were? Fifteen? Sixteen? Such late starters rerely ever get very far.  
  
What did Dumbledore think he was doing? What use could these mere beginners be? They would probably prove themselves as no more than liabilities.  
  
Someone cleared their throat and the potions master spun to see the very wizard he had been considering.  
  
Albus Dumbledore coughed lightly and smiled. "Well?"  
  
"I hardly think it wise to bring untrained wizards, despite how talented, into this war. It would be like delivering more lives into You- Know-Who's hands."  
  
"Don't be so pessimistic, Severus. I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't sure they'd be fine."  
  
"Well, I won't question you more then." Snape shrugged, dismissing the subject. "You remember the-ah-items I mentioned last time? I have more information, though not as much as we had hoped for."  
  
The headmaster nodded for him to continue.  
  
"There are seven items all together and they originate from Ancient Egypt. The power of these items are unknown but myths and legends say they are very powerful in their own way. The main reason, however, that the Dark Lord wants these artifacts is that it is said whoever holds all seven will control the power to rule the world."  
  
Dumbledore stared thoughtfully into space. "Does Voldemort have any of these items?"  
  
"No, but he has sent many of his servants to begin the search."  
  
"I shall have to ask the ministry to start hunting for information. Something tells me it will be vital. Meanwhile, things are going pretty much as planned."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Diagon Alley was not as loud and crowded as it was in the days before the first attack. People looked suspiciously at all strangers and went about their business in a hushed manner. Rather than lingering to chatter and gossip, they found what they came for with all due speed and left as fast as their magic allowed, and both wizards and witches were constantly popping out of sight after collecting their merchandise.  
  
People in ministry uniforms stood at every street corner and paraded along every street, checking the shoppers and occasionally the shop owners themselves. It was all very touchy business. Some people were happy with the arrangements that they claimed made them feel for secure, while others were most disagreeable. The latter considered it rude to have strange magic users always looking over their shoulders like they were common criminals, and thought the precautions totally unnecessary. If, they liked to comment, one of You-Know-Who's servants were really to come along, the ministry wizards would hardly be able to tell the difference. After all, Voldemort was not known for being careless with his spies.  
  
Lupin agreed with them when it came to the Dark Lord's spies, but he was glad all the same for the wizards. They were, most of them at any rate, skilled and trained in these matters.  
  
He hurried the three through the first few shops for books, cauldrons, and robes-Yugi getting a few extra inches on the last for Yami's convenience-until they came to Mr. Olivander's wand shop. There was no hurrying this.  
  
A tinkle of bells marked their entry into the small, dimly lit room and a thin man with pale eyes glanced up.  
  
"Ah, Remus," he exclaimed, straightening from his work. "Albus has informed me that you would be coming. So you three are going to be getting your first wands."  
  
"But I don't-"  
  
Ryou clamped a hand over Malik's mouth. [ -need a wand, ] the Egyptian finished mentally.  
  
The shopkeeper waited curiously for a moment to let him finish his sentence, and when he didn't, continued as if nothing had been said.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AN: Thanks for reading and please review! 


	4. Chapter 4 Thus it Begins

AN: Sorry for taking so long, and thanks for all the reviews.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 4  
  
And I'm supposed to be insane, Malik thought, watching the shopkeeper who was unreasonably happy about the pile of tried wands mounting on the counter. The man rarely blinked and that pale stare of his made the Egyptian uneasy.  
  
Yugi was thinking very hard. It could be that having Shadow powers and two souls had something to do with their dilemma. But he couldn't well tell Mr. Olivander about that.  
  
"Excuse me," Ryou piped up unexpectedly. "Do you have any-wands-that have anything to do with Egypt?"  
  
"Eh? Egypt?" The man seemed slightly perplexed. "Very possible, let me see . . ."  
  
He disappeared into a back room.  
  
[ Ryou, ] Malik hissed. [ make sure you know what you're doing. ]  
  
[[ Unless you want to spend all afternoon in this dump, don't complain. ]] Bakura sounded irritable.  
  
The shopkeeper reappeared, holding a black, leather case and beaming. "Here it is. I'm afraid there are only three so if they don't work, you'll have to have them custom made."  
  
Inside, the box was inlaid with velvet and on them was three, slender, ornately decorated wands. Malik grinned, now these were worth something. All three rods were ebony black with varying gold, silver, and pearl designs. Set near the tip of each was a tiny gemstone, a ruby one in the gold, a violet in the silver, and an ice blue one in the pearl white.  
  
[ They look expensive. ] Ryou thought doubtfully.  
  
Malik shot him a quick, incredulous glance. [ Look at all the gold I wear. Do you really think money will be a problem? ]  
  
Mr. Olivander picked up the first and handed it to Yugi.  
  
"These wands are very unusual and ver, very old. I had almost forgotten about them. The makers put a great deal of care into the creation of these, but since then, they've just been lying about collecting dust. Come, come, give it a wave."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Malik weighed the value of the violet gem in his wand with a thief's practiced eye. The whole thing was a worthy piece of artwork. Lupin had left them on their own with a map to respond to an 'urgent summons', as he had put it. He would be back to pick them up.  
  
"We only have one more stop," Ryou said, consulting the list Lupin had given him. "Do either of you want a pet?"  
  
They shook their heads.  
  
"We don't need owls to send messages," Malik stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"Well then, we had better head to the Leaky Cauldron to wait for Professor Lupin."  
  
Matter settled, they started down the street with Ryou in the lead. The albino stopped abruptly and the Egyptian almost ran into him.  
  
"Curses, Ry-" Malik began then narrowed his eyes. "Bakura, what are you doing out?"  
  
The Tomb Robber smirked. "I think you'll be interested in that story just behind you."  
  
Malik glanced over his shoulder and a devilish gleam entered his gaze.  
  
"What is it?" Yami snapped impatiently. He followed the direction of their glances. "Oh no, absolutely not."  
  
"We are going into a war, right?"  
  
"And I doubt you would allow your hikari to walk into an inevitable battle armed only with magic, Pharaoh."  
  
Yami was torn between responsibility and curiosity. "I suppose it couldn't hurt."  
  
Malik and Bakura exchanged triumphant grins. The shop was not richly decorated like its neighbors and most people walked past it without sparing a glance, but the walls were covered with weapons of every shape and size. Even the Pharaoh was genuinely interested.  
  
The storekeeper was a lean man in his twenties with dark brown hair and matching eyes. He stood no taller than Yami Yugi and wore a finely constructed, chain mail shirt over his robs. He greeted them with a cheerful smile, asked them if they required any assistance, and went back to polishing a circular shield.  
  
A dark, wood sighn in the middle of the back wall proclaimed in golden letters that all items available were enchanted so the blades never dulled or stained, and the mettle would not rust. The two thieves were delighted and went about selecting the best they could find.  
  
"They sure are fascinated by these weapons," the shopkeeper remarked amiably, hanging the shield upon its hook. "Are they always like this?"  
  
Yami, to which this inquiry had been addressed, nodded with a disapproving set to his jaw. "They love anything sharp and capable of killing or causing pain."  
  
The young man chuckled. Obviously, he had not taken it seriously. "Name's Ryan."  
  
"Yugi," Yami replied without missing a beat. He was used to giving his partner's name instead of his own. It made matters simpler for all of them and saved the bother of explanations.  
  
Ryan nodded. "Will you be looking for anything?"  
  
"No. I find magic far more efficient and far less barbaric. Knowing them, however-"  
  
They were interrupted when Malik and Bakura set a pile of gear on the counter.  
  
"We're taking all of these," Malik said, indicating the stack.  
  
Bakura had chosen a set of ten daggers with wicked blades and of varying lengths, convenient for hiding in various places on his person. Malik had equipped himself with two, slender blades and a dirk to keep up one sleeve. Yami's gaze halted on the extra sword.  
  
"Who is that for?"  
  
Malik laughed. "For you, of course."  
  
The Pharaoh rolled his eyes. "As I was about to say, they would probably get me one anyway. How are we going to pay for all this?"  
  
The Egyptian shrugged casually. "I am."  
  
"You have way too much money for your own good. And a lot of it unjustly won."  
  
Malik chose to ignor this last comment. On the other hand, he was inclined to believe the Pharaoh was not one to talk about possessing too much gold.  
  
*******************  
  
"Malik Ishtar! What, by Ra, do you think you are doing?"  
  
The Egyptian stared at his sister in shock. "Isis, I didn't know you could do this!"  
  
"I've only recently learned how to communicate through visions. Now, listen here, Malik. I thought I told you to stay out of trouble!"  
  
"Don't lecture," Malik complained. "I don't go looking for trouble-not this time anyway-trouble comes looking for me."  
  
His sister sighed but could not rightly argue with that. "Be careful then, brother. I trust your senses as a thief have not slackened."  
  
Malik made a face. "Of course not!"  
  
"-And judge your actions. Please try to think before you act. Something or someone may be after you." . . .  
  
Malik opened his eyes. His two friends were both giving him strange looks. Before he could launch into a recount of the 'vision', there was a crack and Lupin apparated beside their table.  
  
[ Isis, ] he said shortly. [ I'll explain later. ]  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lucious Malfoy bowed deeply to his lord. "We have obtained some minimal information on these Millenium Items."  
  
Voldemort turned from the single window of the fire lit room to focus his red eyes on the death eater. "Well?"  
  
"I am afraid it is not very-"  
  
"Just continue," the Dark Lord snapped, raising his wand threateningly.  
  
"Yes, master. Over the past few years, there have been hints-rumors-of these items being used in several places all over the world. The one we have been able to track is supposed to belong to a member of a former gang of thieves known as the Ghouls. We don't know who it belongs to however."  
  
Voldemort twirled his wand thoughtfully. "Do you have the identity of any of these . . . Ghouls?"  
  
"Of course, master."  
  
"Good." A wicked smile curled his thin lips. "Find him or her and bring them to me alive."  
  
Lucious bowed again and departed. Voldemort sank into his armchair and tapped his long, pale fingers on the armrest. He had one more visitor this night. The large snake coiled on the hearthrug raised its head and hissed.  
  
A skeletal man with lank hair and red-green eyes stepped into the room. He knelt and held out a scroll for his master's inspection.  
  
"I have done as you commanded. This is the data you required. Three of the Egyptian magicians have offered their allegiance."  
  
Voldemort accepted the scroll and smiled with satisfaction. "Very good . . ."  
  
The man hesitated. "May I propose a question?"  
  
The Dark Lord's gaze swiveled toward him once again. "Yes?"  
  
"Is it really necessary to ally ourselves with these foreign magicians? How do we know we can trust them?"  
  
"Are you questioning my judgement?"  
  
"No, no. I would never do such a thing, master! I assure you!"  
  
"See that you do not. As to why . . . Egyptian magic is very powerful in its way. Do not underestimate their usefulness. Go. Take your crew and return to Egypt. Begin your search for the items there. My plans will not be thwarted."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AN: The usual. Thanks for reading and please review! 


	5. Chapter 5 Capture

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or Harry Potter. However, all the Ghouls are original characters that I made cause I don't really know the real ones.  
  
Description for places . . . I could try, we'll see . . .  
  
Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad people are liking this.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"All right," Ryou said, raising his wand experimentally. "Let's give this a try. Expelliamus!"  
  
The spell hit the rod in his friend's hands and vanished without a trace. For a split second the Eye on it glowed, then nothing.  
  
Malik grinned. "I thought as much. The items absorb magical power. Could come in handy in the fighting."  
  
"Why are you so anxious for all the violence to start?" Yugi asked, sorting through his deck. "It would be best if we could avoid the fighting all together."  
  
"Nonsense, Yugi," Malik scoffed. "I live for mischief and disaster."  
  
"We've noticed," Ryou retorted dryly, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. "On to another topic," he continued, eyeing all their new gear skeptically. "I hope you aren't going to insist we keep all those?"  
  
[[ We insist, ]] Bakura said firmly. [[ No one will notice a thing. I am an expert at concealing deadly objects. ]]  
  
[ No doubt. ]  
  
The three of them were occupying a sparsely furnished compartment, waiting for the set time of what the wizards called a Transfer Circle. Just to make sure this foreign magic would not be able to wrest the Millenium Items from them, and to test an idea Malik had had, they were throwing simple spells at one another. Ryou proved the most adept at charms and was designated the tester.  
  
Ever since the first attack, the ban on magic use outside of school had been lifted. As long as one did not use it for pure mischief, it was allowable.  
  
Yugi frowned slightly where he sat beside the door 'keeping watch' in case someone were to enter and see the Millenium Items before they could hide them. "Schools for wizards seem pretty dangerous. See here, last year, a student was killed."  
  
"It's not like you haven't seen people killed before," Malik remarked matter-of-factly.  
  
Yugi grimaced. "Several of them by you."  
  
"Hey! That was a long time ao!"  
  
"You haven't changed that much," Ryou told him.  
  
Yugi motioned for them to be quiet for a moment. "Someone's coming," he reported.  
  
Instantly, the rod vanished into Malik's pocket, Ryou's wand disappeared into his bag, and Yugi's deck was replaced in its holder beneath his robes. A moment later, Lupin entered the room.  
  
"You three ready to go?"  
  
They nodded, grabbed their belongings, and followed him into the corridor.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A tall young man with metallic gray hair falling in disarray about his shoulders gazed intently at the computer screen with bright gray eyes. Heron frowned; the report was not good. Erys had been troubled by visions and dreams that he could not remember but always gave him a feeling of impending doom. In their years together with the Ghouls, they had all learned to heed their friend's intuition. His job now was to warn the others so they could also be on the alert.  
  
He typed the message quickly, only pausing for a few seconds to compose what he would say. He would need to send seven copies, one to each of those in their circle other than Erys: Kahan, Yahar, Qwen, Wenner, Tris, Laer, and Master Malik.  
  
Speaking of which, he had not heard from their leader in a while. Heron wondered if he was the one in danger. It was hard to say considering the blonde Egyptian seemed to take great delight in risky undertakings. But the more he thought about this, the more concerned he began to feel. This in mind, he added a postscript to his letter.  
  
The room was quiet in a peaceful sort of way, disturbed only by the endless ticking of the clock atop the dark wood table beside the computer council. An ornate shelf was nailed into the wall above the bed beneath the window behind him, lined with thick volumes. Hieroglyphics were etched in  
gold down their spines.  
  
Heron hated that clock sometimes, for all that it told time. It made him all too aware of fate. Its sinister ticking made him feel like it was  
counting down to their doom.  
  
Without warning, the door banged open. Heron leapt to his feet, a dagger instantly in his hands. None of the Ghouls ever went unarmed, even now when the times had changed. Back when they were still thieving, Master Malik would have killed them for such a careless mistake, always supposing the enemy didn't kill them first.  
  
"Who are you and what do you want?" he demanded.  
  
The three people now in his room were robed and hooded much like the Ghouls when they were working, and masks obscured their faces. They all brandished sticks as if they were swords and Heron eyed these warily.  
  
"The Dark Lord wishes to see you," one of them spoke in a cold, sneering voice. "Come quietly or else . . ."  
  
"I'll take the or else," Heron snapped and lunged forward.  
  
The man had not been expecting the sudden attack and relled backwards as the blade sliced across his chest. His accomplices raised their wands but he ducked the jets of light that shot from them and lashed out with the dagger. The room was filled with the sound of loud cursing and the chime of breaking glass as the window shattered.  
  
Heron was not one of the Master's elite for nothing. On the other hand, he was ill equipped for fighting these strange people and their magic. He landed several more blows before one of them managed to hit him squarely with a blast of red light. Heron staggered back, his world spinning and fading out of focus. Before he went down, his hand hit the send button on the keyboard. Then everything went black.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Yugi, Ryou, and Malik gazed up at the mansion in awe. It was a monster of a building with at least seven stories and lined with row upon row of glittering windows. Stone gargoyles stood like sentinels atop it and crouched over the huge double doors. Before it lay a pool of deep, crystal blue water and all around the mansion was a garden in full bloom.  
  
Lupin smiled. "This is Albus Dumbledore's mansion. He's the headmaster. Wonderful place, and just as heavily enchanted as Hogwarts castle."  
  
The werewolf led them through the maze of pathways and up to the front doors. Knocking three times on the polished wood, it swung open on its own just wide enough to admit them.  
  
Malik stepped softly. One could not be too careful. More gargoyles blinked down at them as they passed through bulbous, yellow eyes. Paintings whispered and suits of armor clanked. The whole place reminded him of the mansion his Duel Monsters dwelt in within the Shadow Realm.  
  
The Great Hall was lined with chairs, all facing a raised dais on which a table had been set for the teachers Albus had summoned from all over the magical world. Over half the seats were filled with students in black robes. These were either pale, nervous, excited, or a mixture of them all.  
  
The three Item Holders chose places to the rear and Lupin made his way to his position at the high table. With this last arrival, it appeared the attendance was complete. An old wizard in deep violet robes stood, clearing his throat and the hall fell silent.  
  
"I would like to welcome you all to the Pheonix camp. Before we begin, I would like to warn you all again." He scanned the students, the normal twinkle in his eyes replaced by a grim, serious light. "You are here to learn to defend yourselves against the Dark Lord's servants. Regardless what anyone says, You-Know-Who has returned. The danger you will face will be great, and I lay before you again the choice. This is the last change you will get to leave for a while."  
  
No one moved.  
  
He nodded and smiled. "Right then. Instead of the four Hogwart's Houses, you will be sorted into teams. You will stay with your teammates the time you are here. You will all learn to work together."  
  
"In the first few weeks, you will cover the basics. After that, we will teach each of you according to the talents we see."  
  
He sat down and a stern woman wearing square spectacles with her hair pulled back into a bun at the back of her head stood. She unrolled a parchment and began to read off names.  
  
Malik shifted, all too aware that the wrong type of company could bring out some truly nasty qualities in him. It could blow their cover and cost whoever it was his or her mind. Yugi and Ryou were thinking along the same lines as they stole sidelong glances at him. With any luck, they would not have to worry about that problem.  
  
~ Master Malik . . .~  
  
The Egyptian started and stared around. Had he actually heard that? Malik could not be sure. It had been like a rasping whisper at the back of his mind.  
  
Malik shook himself and turned back to the dais. He was growing paranoid as well as insane.  
  
But then, his world wavered. For an instant, he saw a dark room lit with torchlight and two men holding an unconscious form before a high-back chair. It was hard to make out anything, though he had the impression that the walls were covered in peeling wallpaper of undetermined design and a single, shuttered window was flung open to the night. Then it was all normal. Malik frowned.  
  
"What is it?" Ryou whispered.  
  
Malik shrugged. "Nothing, it's nothing."  
  
McGonagall continued, oblivious to the conversation taking place at the back of the hall. "-Team Seven: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Yugi Motou, Ryou Bakura, and Malik Ishter."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lucious Malfoy paced the halls of Malfoy Manner, scowling. The school had been attacked so Hogwart's students would not be returning this year. But then, where in the world was his son?  
  
Draco should not have been wandering off like this. At the least, he should have left a note. This was not expected.  
  
Lucious growled. There was enough on his plate already.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Thanks for reading and please review. 


	6. Chapter 6 Disembodied Voices

AN: I'm sooo sorry for taking so long. I had something of a writer's block. And school's started for me. -_- It's a pity summer always seems so short.  
  
I really appreciate the reviews. I like that, 'daddy dearest'.  
  
NOTE: I would like to know whether you would prefer Draco Malfoy to be a bad guy or a good guy later on. I can't make up my mind, though the original thought was for him to be on the 'side of justice'. Please tell me if there's anything you would like to happen and I'll see if I can work something in.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 6  
  
With years of experience behind him from his days as a gang leader, Malik had acquired some skill at reading people. But it did not take a master to see the obvious conflict between the pale, blonde teen and the black-haired adolescent with the green eyes and a most peculiar scar on his forehead shaped like a lightning bolt: Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter if he had heard aright. In fact, in Malik's opinion, the looks they gave one another as they approached bordered on hatred.  
  
A second look told him that Draco was at a serious disadvantage. A lanky lad with bright red hair and a brown-haired girl followed Harry and neither felt any kinder toward the pale boy. Maybe these other team members would not be as boring as he had expected. Either way, with the proper provocations, things could get nasty. Not that he would have minded.  
  
Malik stored that bit for later thought and settle to eavesdrop on the whispered exchange he could see was coming up.  
  
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Ron Weasley demanded in a hiss as the seven took the seats in the indicated row, emphasizing the name with a sneer. "Spying for daddy dearest?"  
  
Draco sneered right back. "Don't be a blind fool, Weasley. People who think they know everything often get themselves into more trouble than they can get out of." He shot Hermione a spiteful glance with the last remark.  
  
Further retorts were halted as Professor McGonagall continued and the four sat in stony silence.  
  
[[They don't get along too well, now do they?]] Bakura's shrewd voice held too much interest.  
  
[[No trouble, Tomb Robber,]] Yami warned. [[This goes for you too on this matter, Malik, Ishtar.]]  
  
[[Of course not, your Majesty,]] Ishtar answered mockingly. [[We wouldn't dream of it.]]  
  
[That worries me,] Yugi thought with a mental grin. /Whenever he says that, it means he's planning something particularly awful. It's useless, Yami. We'll just have to deal with it if-when it happens./  
  
// It will happen. For those three, magic, unless it is for causing pain, will grow tiresome eventually. //  
  
/ What about you? /  
  
There was a brief pause before Yami replied. // I may need some entertainment, but all in all, I shall be fine. I am not a psychopath. //  
  
"Yugi!" Malik hissed, calling his attention.  
  
He followed the Egyptian's gaze to a high corner of the rafters. Staring down in the the Great Hall were two, bulbous green eyes. Their slitted pupils surveyed the gathering with a cold intelligence.  
  
From this angle, Yugi couldn't make out much. The thing's body merged perfectly into the shadows. But when it moved, he could have sworn he could see the folds of ragged, dusty brown wings and the faint outline of clawed feet.  
  
"Do you think we could be-imagining it?" Ryou whispered.  
  
Malik shook his head, smiling wryly. "Well, seeing as all we've seen and done, is it not safer to accept that anything is possible? Better safe than sorry as they say."  
  
"That," Yugi pointed out. "Is not what you would usually say."  
  
"I prefer to keep myself in one piece. One misstep in a world like this can get your neck broken for you. I haven't exactly survived this long only to gert a free pass to the land of the dead for carelessness."  
  
"Maybe its just a resident of the mansion," Ryou suggested. "And its so small. Who's to say its even dangerous?"  
  
"It doesn't have to be. It could be spying for someone."  
  
[[ I strongly suggest you save this problem for later, if you have the time that is. ]] Yami advised. [[ The professor with the name list is finishing up. ]]  
  
They fell silent and looked forward expectantly.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Heron drifted slowly into consciousness. The pain caused by that spell had been incredible, but they would discover that he was not so easy to break. Rare few of them were. Still, this was not good.  
  
He got to his feet, wincing, and took in his surroundings.  
  
The chamber in which he had been placed was constructed like a dungeon with walls and floor of a dark, rough-hewn stone. A high ceiling was lost in semi-darkness and there was the sound of dripping water constantly in the background. Shackles lay in a heap in one corner, but they had not bothered to chain him.  
  
Making his slow and painful way to the door, he supported himself with one hand on the wall and studied it. There was no lock to pick and no bolts to undo from the other side so far as he could tell through the narrow cracks. But pushing on it, however hard he tried, produced nothing. They must have bespelled it.  
  
No help for it. He would have to wait and trust that something would present itself with time.  
  
Lowering himself to the ground and resting his aching back against the cool stone, Heron contemplated everything he had heard. These people, he didn't know who they were, wanted something to which he was supposed to possess some information. Judging by everything he had been through in the past, he thought he had a good idea what that something might be. There was no way they were gong to drag it out of him though, whatever it was. But if they could cast some spell that read minds or make one tell . . . he could be in serous trouble.  
  
What else had they said before it all began, there was something. Ah yes, they had had an offer of alliance. And by the way he had denied that, he had made the strange, hooded man furious.  
  
Sighing, he wondered if anyone had noticed he was missing yet. Time was hard to tell in this place, wherever it was. The-wizards-had mentioned memory charms that made people forget, but Heron was sure they could not have gotten everybody. As far as he could tell, no one living anywhere near him knew of Erys and the others.  
  
Heron closed his eyes and prayed fervently that they'd find a way to find him and remove him from this wretched place.  
  
A slightly bemused smile flickered across his face. When hee had wished for adventure jus four days before, this had not been what he had had in mind.  
  
*********  
  
"What are we going to do?" Qwen groaned. "Thos people didn't leave any clues!"  
  
"I thought you said there was something?" Laer countered. "He couldn't have just disappeared."  
  
Mournful, light blue eyes looked balefully back. "There was, but nothing we can follow."  
  
The five of them had gathered for a meeting when they had discovered Heron was missing. Erys, Laer, Werner, Tris, and Qwen sat, sprawled, and stood around the living room of Qwen's house. Qwen, being something of the detective in their midst, had the most equipment and the most reliable finds.  
  
It was a nice place-if you liked machines and all sorts of odd instruments made of almost every material under the sun. Tables stood all along the walls, leaving space only for an ocean colored couch. On the wood- paneled walls hung paintings of glittering castles and ancient ruins and one last, long, low table stood on clawed paws on the carpet at the center of all the organized chaos.  
  
"You can't mean what I think you mean, can you?" Tris said slowly.  
  
The blonde-hair teen nodded. "Exactly. It was magic. Whatever happened, someone-and we know it couldn't have been Heron-used magic."  
  
"Just our luck," Wenner growled, hazel eyes glinting with frustration. "And just where our magic experts decide to take wing back to that dammed school."  
  
"Be fair, Wen," Erys reasoned. "They really are a lot of help with supernatural stuff."  
  
"Really, we have to focus on the problem," Tris interrupted impatiently. "What, I repeat are we going to do?"  
  
Wen opened his mouth to say something-probably another complaint-when an odd little machine set on the worktable by the door began to beep. They fell silent, glancing at one another before turning simultaneously to the peculiar object.  
  
"I thought you said it wasn't working," Laer whispered.  
  
Qwen stood cautiously and went over to the thing. It was a construction of wires and crystals with a screen of glass. This square of material was glowing and red letters flashed across it.  
  
"What does it say?"  
  
Qwen turned, normally dancing eyes solemn. "They say they've got him."  
  
"Who?" Wen asked anxiously.  
  
"That Dark Lord Kahan told us about, the one they all fear to name, Voldemort I think he was called. They say they have Heron."  
  
"What do they want with us?" Erys asked, emerald eyes narrowing.  
  
"An offer of alliance," Qwen answered grimly. "If we agree, they release him. And if we don't . . ."  
  
Erys sighed, rubbing his temples and closing his eyes. "We have to find Master Malik."  
  
The others nodded and murmured in agreement.  
  
"Where are we going to start looking?" Wen inquired. "This is getting really serious. How much time do we have. And what about our magicians?"  
  
"Why can't we jut send them this whole problem to deal with?" Tris suggested. "Have them keep a lookout; this is their department. And meanwhile, we'll start scouring Egypt for Master Malik."  
  
"We don't have much of a choice," Erys consented. "Who has the owl?"  
  
"One more thing," Laer called as Wen stood to go to the attic where they kept the tawny brown creature. "One of us should go the London. I think Isis mentioned something about him being there with the Pharaoh and the Tomb Robber."  
  
"I will go," Qwen said, standing as well. "I'll go get ready. I know plane leaving for Europe tonight."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Hi," Harry said, turning to Yugi as McGonagall rolled up her scroll and sat. "My name's Harry."  
  
The small boy with tri-colored hair smiled brightly. "I'm Yugi."  
  
"I've never seen you before," Hermione said curiously. "And I'm sure I've seen everyone at Hogwarts."  
  
"We're new," Malik replied. "I'm from Egypt. Yugi and Ryou here are from Japan."  
  
"Cool, Egypt," Ron joined in. "My brother works their as a curse breaker."  
  
"I didn't know they were accepting new students here," Hermione said with a frown of disapproval. "That could be very dangerous."  
  
"Can't be worse than what we've been through," Malik told her with a smirk.  
  
"What do mudbloods know about danger?" Malfoy drawled.  
  
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry warned.  
  
"What does that mean?" Ryou asked.  
  
"It's a nasty name for wizards who come from nonmagic families," Ron growled, throwing the pale blonde boy a dirty look.  
  
"I'll have you know," Malik informed Malfoy, glaring. "Magic in my family can be traced all the way back to Ancient Egypt."  
  
Draco sneered. "If that's true, why aren't you there instead of here? Egypt's magic schools not good enough? Or maybe they're too poor there to teach wizards."  
  
The Egyptian opened his mouth to retort or curse the wizard, but they never found out which, for then their chairs began to walk. They all grabbed the edges of their chairs instinctively and gaped as their seats strode on wooden 'legs' to position themselves in two by two rows facing in. At the same time, tables ordinarily piled up at one end of the hall promptly climbed off one another and trotted through the rows, placing themselves between them. Plates and silverware flew through an opening in the wall, leading-they assumed-to the kitchens. As they landed with soft clinks, steaming plates of food materialized before them.  
  
"I could definitely get used to this," Malik told Ryou, reaching for several slices of steak.  
  
"I wonder what spell that was that brought the furniture to life," Hermione mused. "Probably a charm."  
  
"Give it a rest, Hermione," Ron said with his mouth full. "That stuff and really spoil a good meal-"  
  
Without warning, the Greath Hall's double doors swung open with a deep boom. A stooped figure, completely enshrouded with a black robe and cloak scurried through, hurrying up to the high table. Dumbledore turned to listen to the ragged figure, nodding thoughtfully.  
  
Sitting inside his soul room, Bakura perked his ears up with interest. The Millenium Ring around Ryou's neck glowed faintly beneath his robes and suddenly, what the headmaster was hearing came ringing in his head as clear as day.  
  
"-Indeed, and I did some research on it. I thin you will find it most interesting." The little man cast a nervous glance al around him like he expected something to jumpt out at him. "And they've been recruiting from those places, witches and wizards with strange and dark talents. But I would rather not speak of it here."  
  
"I agree," Dumbledore answered. "We will continue this later. Now, would you care to joins us?"  
  
The thief canceled the link with a calculating expression on his face. What were they looking for? What had they found? Could they be hiding something?  
  
********  
  
"Bed," Ron sighed with an enthusiastic grin, falling onto the four- poster's covers.  
  
"Is that all you do, Weasley? Eat and sleep?"  
  
Yugi dropped his jacket on his trunk with a yawn. It had been a long day. Malik was sprawled across his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, the expression they all wore when deep in conversation with their darker selves.  
  
*The world is falling. The land is dying.*  
  
Yugi shook his head. What was that? / Ya-? /  
  
*They are coming. With their new leader they will fight. And before them, the world will be torn by their might.*  
  
// Yugi? Aibou, are you all right? //  
  
*There is only one hope to turn them back. By the light of the Divine they will be defeated. But the clock is ticking. The sand in the hourglass is trickling away.*  
  
// Yugi! //  
  
Yugi shook himself with a hsiver. / Did you hear that, Yami? /  
  
// Hear what, Aibou? //  
  
/ Those voices . . ./ Yugi sent him the memory of the disembodied voices and the blurs of color that had flashed in his mind. / What do you think it means? /  
  
The Pharaoh was silent for a long time, so long that Yugi began to wonder if he was going to answer. // Perhaps. //  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"What?" Yugi blinked. Harry was wearing a most peculiar expression. "I'm fine."  
  
"If your sure."  
  
Pulling the thick green draperies around the bed, Yugi lay back and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, everything would begin in earnest.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"So what is this about?"  
  
Dumbledore sat at the desk in his study facing the man that had made such a dramatic entrance during supper. Devin his name was, Devin Anbright.  
  
The auror licked his lips nervously; being hunted all across the country by deatheaters tended to have that effect on people.  
  
"You asked my to find as much as I could on the muggle game known as Duel Monsters. Well, you won't believe what I found."  
  
He took a gulp of pumpkin juice while the headmaster waited patiently for him to continue.  
  
"It's a very famous game, played almost all over the world, but its most popular in Japan where its inventor lives. All three of your new students have extensive history in the game. They're all renowned duelists and have participated in both of the most recent tournaments, Battle City and Duelist Kingdom. I am, to say the least, concerned."  
  
Albus rasied his eyebrow. "How so? All youths their age play games."  
  
Devin shook his head. "You don't understand, Albus! Take a look at this."  
  
Rifling through a nondescript brown bag he pulled out a thick wad of paper. Spreading them across the table, they made three packets, each with a black and white profile of one of the new students.  
  
"Ryou Bakura, Malik Ishtar, and Yugi Motou," he said, pointing to each photo in turn. "Almost every time they duel, something strange is seen to happen: disappearances and people gone mad. You cannot tell me that these are merely coincidences."  
  
Dumbledore sat back, tapping his fingers, pondering. "Yes, Moody said there was something-odd-about them. But we all have our secrets. I am confident they will inform us if we need to know. I do not believe they will be a danger to the other students."  
  
Devin shrugged ruefully. "You probably know best, Albus. But I'll leave these here incase you want to go through them."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Malik sat cross-legged with his back against the headboard and the curtains drawn. The lights had been dimmed but he required no light to see the card he held in his left hand. The winged Dragon of Ra looked back at him, fierce and powerful in its majesty.  
  
Sighing ruefully, Malik put the card back in his deck and lay down, staring up at the ceiling. It would probably be a while before he got to play that card again. The strength of it was exhilarating but it was dangerous to summon. Only his two friends and himself could actually control them, but even that control could be tenuous and draining. Plus, they had a secret to keep.  
  
Rolling over and closing his eyes, he wondered how long that secret could be kept. He would be careful . . . maybe, if nothing annoyed him too greatly. But, while Ishtar had been strangely silent for some time, his yami was never satisfied with merely staying in the background.  
  
*Beware the wrath of the Shadows . . .*  
  
with that last, alien whisper echoing in his mind, Malik fell into a lgiht, uneasy sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Thank you for reading and please review!  
  
Sorry if it wasn't exactly exciting . . . suggestions are welcome.  
  
If anyone knows of any HP crossovers based on Malik, I would appreciate it if you could inform me . . . thanks again. 


	7. Chapter 7 Deal

AN: Thanks for reading and I really appreciate the reviews.  
  
NOTE: I am going to bring a Duel Monster in some time in the next few chapters from Yugi's deck. Are there any preferences between the Dark Magician and the Celtic Guardian?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Malik groaned and rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head. Why did the birds have to be so dammed loud? Could they not see that he was trying to sleep?  
  
There was a crash, the clang of mettle, and a stream of curses.  
  
With a growl of frustration, he sat up, flinging the draperies wide and giving the room a death glare. The scene that greeted his eyes gave him a rather mixed feeling of irritation and amusement.  
  
/ Ishtar, couldn't you wait till I was awake? /  
  
// You were, // his yami answered innocently, if you could call anything about Ishtar innocent. Personally, Malik did not think so.  
  
Draco Malfoy was leaning heavily against one post of his bed, rubbing his temples and glowering. There was a heavy mirror on the floor, not in the least damaged by its apparent contact with the boy's head, and a sword was stuck point down in the floor, pinning the hem of his black robes.  
  
"What's the matter, Malfoy?" Bakura's voice taunted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "What spell was it you were trying?"  
  
"You did this!" he accused.  
  
Bakura smirked and threw Malik a sly wink. He did not try to deny it; it was not their style. Malik winked back.  
  
[ Day one. ]  
  
*********  
  
Breakfast was a lively occasion. They ate in their dormitory at a rectangular table near the front of the room set with exactly seven places.  
  
Malik had usurped the seat at the head of the table and Bakura, who had not yet relinquished control of Ryou's body, was on his left. Yugi sat on his right next to Harry and Ron. Facing the two across the table was Hermione and Draco.  
  
The two thieves were speaking rapidly in ancient Egyptian. Malik had apparently procured an enchanted set of high-level spy equipment and was eager to try them out. Bakura informed him that Ryou had agreed to let him take over at bedtime and explore the mansion if he behaved while they were in class.  
  
Ron grimaced as Ryou, or who he thought was Ryou, tore into a slab of steak with vicious enjoyment and quickly turned his gaze away. "So, what do we have first?"  
  
"I don't know," Hermione said, biting her lip. "We haven't got schedules."  
  
"Get used to it, Granger. Things work differently here."  
  
Before anyone could say anything in reply to this, the door burst open, rebounding off the wall and a man with black hair and bright eyes bounded in, grinning.  
  
"Sirius!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione gasped in unison.  
  
"Sirius Black!" Malfoy yelled, throwing himself backward and whipping out his wand, snarling. "What is he doing here?"  
  
" 'He'," Sirius replied, "will be your guide for the rest of the school year."  
  
"Cool," Harry said, smiling at his Godfather. "How come you didn't tell me Dumbledore was letting you teach here."  
  
The wizard shrugged. "Too risky."  
  
"Guide?" Malik cut in. "What do you mean by Guide?"  
  
"The system here is different from ordinary schools. Each team is assigned a Guide who will stay with them until the end of the school year. I am in charge of arranging your lessons, answering your questions, and whatever else you may require. First on the list for today is a tour."  
  
Yugi smiled to himself as they trooped down the sunlit hallways. This place was amazing; there was so much to see. He couldn't wait for lessons to start. And the games they had! Even Yami was inclined to try them out when they got the time.  
  
"This place was built centuries before the founding of Hogwarts itself," Sirius was sayng. "It has many secrets and no one knows everything it hides. It was constructed as a sanctuary and a stronghold in a war over five thousand years ago against a darkness worse than the Dark Lord."  
  
"Is that possible?" Hermione asked, aghast. "I mean . . ."  
  
"That's what the stories say. And here." Sirius halted before a wide, sweeping flight of stairs running off into gloomy darkness. "Albus wanted us to make sure everyone takes not that this place is forbidden on penalty of death."  
  
"What's in there?" Malik asked, interested for the first time since leaving their rooms.  
  
"No one knows, actually." Sirius replied casually. "It was passed down through generations that this place has to be protected with the utmost caution and none are ever to venture within."  
  
"What is there to stop anyone?" Draco sounded skeptical.  
  
Their Guide gave him a wry, sidelong glance. "Trust me, we'll know."  
  
// Will they now. //  
  
/ Yami! If it's forbidden, it has to be for a reason! / Yugi scolded, but he didn't like the feeling of intense curiosity he was receiving from Yami, or the glints in Bakura and Malik's eyes.  
  
"Here we are," Sirius said, swinging a set of glass doors wide to admit them onto a white marble terrace. "This is one of the best sights in the mansion."  
  
There was a collective gasp.  
  
Lining the edges were statues, enormous stone sculptures of monsters, there was no other description. But that was not what shocked Yugi. His stunned expression resulted from the fact that he recognized many of those creatures.  
  
[ Duel Monsters! ] Yugi yelped.  
  
[ Well, ] Malik thought, smirking. [ What do we have here? ]  
  
To the sides were the Harpies Brother, the Wing Weaver, the Celtic Guardian, and the Dark Elf. And at the head of the procession stood the mysterious Dark Magician and the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon.  
  
"Wow," Ron exhaled excitedly. "What are they?"  
  
Ryou had regained control for the moment and came over to stand by Yugi. "Where did they come from?"  
  
Sirius stopped to admire the artistry. "Same as that last place, nobody remembers. There are legends, but the manuscripts are long lost."  
  
"They're magnificent," Harry commented. "Were they ever real?"  
  
"Oh no," the wizard said dismissively. "Not real."  
  
Malik was shaking with silent laughter. [ Not real! Ha, little do they know. ]  
  
Back down in the Great Hall Sirius handed them their schedules with a crooked smile.  
  
"Hey, Malik, Bakura, you'll love this. We have obstacle courses next."  
  
"What kind of a class is that?" Draco demanded. "Obstacle courses?"  
  
"Baka," 'Ryou' sneered. "It's for training agility, strength, and wits."  
  
"Things you obviously lack," Malik added.  
  
"How do you know so much?" Ron asked suspiciously.  
  
The two grinned wickedly, sharing a mischievous glance.  
  
"We know a lot more about these things than you ever will."  
  
"What did you say?" Ron narrowed his eyes.  
  
"And your magic is pathetic," Malik added.  
  
"Oh?" Draco snarled. "I wouldn't bet on that."  
  
"Let's make a deal," Malik said, putting a sneer into his voice. It wasn't difficult; it was natural.  
  
"I bet that we can beat all four of you at the courses."  
  
"What do we get out of this?" Draco wanted to know.  
  
"If we lose, you can pick what to do with us, but if we win," Bakura smirked, a smirk that was mirrored on Malik's face. "Whatever we do, none of you are aloud to tell anyone outside this team."  
  
Yugi gave them a worried look. [ What are you two doing? ]  
  
[ No need to concern yourself, Yugi. We have everything under control. ] Malik gave a mental shrug. [ Come on, give us a break! You don't expect us to stay idle all year, do you? This way, we won't have to worry about getting puished. ]  
  
"Well, what do you say, Potter?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Ron nodded but Hermione looked uncertain. "Are you sure about this? I mean, we could really get in trouble."  
  
"Hermione," Ron said, exasperated. "Haven't you got any spirit for competition?"  
  
Draco turned back to the waiting thieves. "Agreed."  
  
Malik smiled. "I seal your word."  
  
Harry got the weird feeling that they had gotten into something over their heads. And worse, they would have to play through till the end. There was definitely something strange about Ryou, Malik, and even Yugi. He was curious to know what.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Qwen shivered in the cold, pulling his cloak tighter around him. Buildings loomed on either side of the street, their windows aglow with light, but he was not searching for a comfortable place to stay. He had spent many nights out in the streets and he was no stranger to the rough way of life, or should not have been. He supposed he had spent too many days under a warm roof.  
  
His head came up sharply like a startled deer, cocked and listening. Beneath the howl of the wind, he caught the hint of footsteps, light footsteps but footsteps all the same. Qwen ducked into a narrow alley and waited.  
  
Two figures came up the street, creeping and hesitant. The halted every few yards to glance around, as if they were looking for something-or someone. Could they be searching for him?  
  
Qwen frowned and shifted uneasily as they turned in the direction of his hiding place. The alley was a dead end and there would be no choice but to fight if they got much closer. He was not here to fight. A fight would delay him and it was time he could not afford.  
  
Gathering himself, Qwen bolted. In an instant, the two were after him. Years of fleeing from guards had honed the slender rogue into a fast runner, but his pursuers had more than a few tricks up their sleeves.  
  
A jet of red light hit the ground inches from his feet and Qwen jumped in surprise. A second jet streamed through the air where he had been a second before.  
  
Qwen cursed under his breath and put on another spurt of speed. Just his luck to meet dark wizards so soon after arrival. Several more blasts barely missed the mark and Qwen began to worry. He did not have his duel deck on him and he had no idea whether it would have worked anyway without his connection to Master Malik. Which meant, he was totally defenseless against the magicians.  
  
Skirting a corner, a jet of light shot over his head and struck one of those following in his tracks. The man fell without even time to cry out. The second closely followed, felled by a blast of crimson.  
  
Three men emerged from a doorway and hurried over to Qwen, who tensed in readiness for an attack. It didn't come. Instead, a tall, balding man with bright red hair walked up to him wearing an expression of concern.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked, sticking something that looked like a wand into his pocket.  
  
"I'm fine. Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Author Weasley and my companions are Devin Anbright and Sirius Black."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Well, this is an interesting choice. Did the teachers really expect them to do this blindfolded?"  
  
Bakura shrugged, but Malik could not see him due to the strip of black cloth tied around his head, covering his eyes.  
  
"Having doubts?" the Tomb Robber inquired, grinning.  
  
"Of course not," the Egyptian scoffed. "Lead on."  
  
Lupin walked up before them, appearing slightly haggard like he had had a bad night. Bakura had overheard some of the teachers saying something about an attack on some foreign wizard. The werewolf cleared his throat, looking very serious.  
  
"This class is designed to improve your teamwork. Without working together, you can and will get hurt. It is also to test your skill levels at areas related to spy-work. In this first week, we will be gauging your abilities and from there we will give lessons according to each team's specialty."  
  
"Don't worry if you can't make it. This is only the first time. And again, be careful. I will be watching and will intervene if necessary. You may begin when you're ready."  
  
Bakura studied the first part of the obstacle course with an eye trained by experience. "All right, Malik. This first section looks easy enough. There's a series of wood columns and there are these pendulums hanging between them that swing side to side. They look heavy and could probably break some bones if you get hit. So don't."  
  
"You set?" He called over to Harry, Draco, Hermione, and Ron. They had spent all this time arguing over who would wear the blindfold. Ron had ended up with the 'unlucky draw'.  
  
"Whenever you are," Harry called back.  
  
Yugi climbed up onto a boulder to watch as Lupin shouted 'Go!'. / Yami, why did you want me to stay out of it? I mean, isn't it kind of unfair? /  
  
// I want to see what happens, // Yami replied simply.  
  
The moment the word had left the werewolf's mouth, Malik ran. Bakura had grabbed him by the hand and led him on a weaving path through the pillars, yanking down when he wanted him to duck. Malik could feel the wind as the stones on the ends of the swinging ropes whooshed past him, often only missing by seconds. He wondered for a moment how the other group was doing, then threw all his attention into the task at hand, a maniacal grin spreading across his face. The thrill of only just escaping the claws of possible death ran through his veins, invigorating.  
  
"Here we go," Bakura muttered. "Jump!"  
  
Yugi gasped as his friends vanished, seemingly swallowed up by the ground.  
  
"Impressive," Lupin said beside him. "That's the entrance to the the maze. I'm surprised they found it so soon. It was built for the intermediate students. I might have to send for Snape and McGonagall to retrieve them."  
  
Harry was exasperated. It took a lot of yelling to get passed the first few pendulums and things weren't really improving. Spells had no effect on the rocks and Ron was having trouble. Draco was not helping either.  
  
Halfway through the 'forest', one of them somehow managed to trip a trap. And within minutes they were all well and tangled in a mass of writhing, tree roots.  
  
"This was all your fault, Potter," Draco spat angrily as Lupin freed them and lead them back to the starting point.  
  
"Me?" Harry shot back indignantly. "Who was it that spent all that time insulting his teammates? Who was it that almost let that stone break Ron's arm?"  
  
They stopped as their attention was caught by a pool of water by the boulder where Yugi had seated himself. The water was still and clear as crystal. In it, they could see Malik and Bakura starting into the maze.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
They fell through the darkness for Ra only knew how long. Their descent was suddenly slowed and an enchantment deposited them lightly on their feet.  
  
The moment they touched the ground, they started moving. It was never wise to stay in one place too long in a danger zone. Sure enough, there was the sound of two spears thudding into the wall where their heads would have been.  
  
Bakura had uncanny night vision and sprinted with Malik in tow as a shower of knives fell from the darkness above. This was followed by a high- pitched whistle and beams of scarlet light that zipped across their path, forming a net of lines that reminded Bakura of the ones mortals sometimes used in high-security buildings at night.  
  
Together they stepped over the first beam.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Everyone watched in something like awed amazement, all except Yugi who was grinning from ear to ear at their reactions.  
  
In the pool Malik suddenly shouted something and threw a dagger as Bakura ducked. The blade streaked over the robber's head, intercepting the path of a silver arrow and splitting it cleanly down the center. Bakura seized the dagger as if fell and handed it back to the Egyptian before starting down the dark corridor once again.  
  
Snape made a mental note to inform the headmaster on the scene unfolding before his eyes. Where had the two boys acquired such skills? Surely it was not natural. What kind of people had they unknowingly accepted?  
  
"They're incredible!" Ron muttered to Harry, annoyed. "No wonder they challenged us. They must have known we couldn't win, throwing Malfoy into our group."  
  
Harry shrugged. "No one forced us, but it was a little unfair."  
  
In the scrying pool, Malik and Bakura had come to a wide abyss with mettle bars forming a web into its murky depths. The Tomb Robber easily climbed onto it. Malik leapt and he flung out a hand, catching him by one arm so he could get a purchase on the rungs.  
  
Ron lowered his voice. "You don't suppose they could be, you know, working for You-Kow-Who."  
  
Hermione looked shocked. "Ron! Dumbledore wouldn't-"  
  
"What if Dumbledore didn't know?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The small house on the end of the street that was not so small from the inside was in an uproar. Qwen sat at the kitchen table, listening.  
  
These people had taken him for a wizard due to his garments and total lack of surprise over magic. He guessed that lingering traces of Shadow magic probably had something to do with that as well. And just the fact that deatheaters were after him meant something to them. He had worked hard to convince them to let him see Dumbledore and that it was fairly urgent. There was no Dark Mark to be found on him and they had determined that he was not lying.  
  
"How about this," Author Weasley said, sitting down across the table's polished expanse. "Devin is leaving for the new school shortly. You can go with him. He'll show you to Dumbledore."  
  
"All right," the Ghoul responded. This was perfect.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Thanks for reading and please review. 


	8. Chapter 8 Dark Gate

Author's Notes:  
  
To darkdragon666 : Um, I don't understand what you mean but 'cut off' so I don't know how to fix it. If you could tell me, I suppose I could try.  
  
To Cloie: I will include animagus transformations for them; I think it's a good idea. But I really don't want to kill any of the main cast, so sorry about that.  
  
To everyone else, thanks for reviewing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Malik stared vaguely at the clock at the front of the room, hanging over the teacher's head. It was an odd clock, more interesting certainly than the old man beneath it.  
  
The old man in question was hardly one most would have called uninteresting. He had messy hair, a lined face, a nose that looked like a chunk had been removed, and an eye that sometimes rolled all he way around to stare through the back of his head. His name was Madeye Moody and he taught Curses and Counter Curses.  
  
Malik wished he would hurry up and finish with the caution speech. His stories were all very interesting but he wanted to do something other then listen. He had the feeling they would be doing a lot of that today though.  
  
His hand strayed into his pocket and traced the Eye on the Sennen Rod. Malik blinked at the tingle that ran up his arm. Both Yugi and Ryou appeared nervous and their yamis were restless.  
  
The atmosphere of the classroom darkened and the air seemed to ripple. Or maybe it was only in their vision for no one else seemed to notice. Moody went on speaking and the other students continued listening or staring dazedly out the window longingly at the noonday sun and clear skies.  
  
There was magic at work, a dark and familiar sorcery. Malik exchanged looks with his two friends: Shadow magic.  
  
Their world rocked curling black wisps of fog crept through the cracks of the door and windows, stealing across the walls. A torturous moan echoed through their minds and Ryou clamped his hands over his ears, wincing in pan. A long, drawn, agonized scream tore out of the darkness, resounding in their heads and Yugi stumbled back, falling to his knees. The pain that roiled within the concealment of the shadows was incredible. Dimly the two could hear Malik and their darkers shouting, but it was all so far away . . .  
  
Malik cursed profusely, turning from his friends to face the approaching darkness. Ryou and Yugi had always been more empathetic than himself. And Yami and Bakura were too preoccupied with their lights.  
  
Malik pulled the Millenium Rod from its hidden place in his robes and held it crosswise before him. Golden light spilled across the smooth metal and a violet aura of flames flickered into existence around the Item Holder as a glowing version of the Sennen Eye appeared on his forehead.  
  
The struggle that followed was short and difficult to describe. If asked, Malik could not have explained any of it. The Puzzle and the Ring stirred into brilliant life as their respective spirits fed power into their companion. Malik threw everything he had into his attack, in a hurry to leave this twisted fragment of the Shadow Realm before the others suffered any lasting damage. The pure, undiminished evil reaching its claws toward them halted and the three were slammed back into reality.  
  
Harry leapt to his feet, alarmed as Malik suddenly slumped in his chair. Yugi and Ryou followed suit.  
  
"Malik!"  
  
[[ He was just hasty and overdid his attack. That was far more power than was necessary. ]] But Yami Bakura sounded ever so faintly concerned.  
  
"Will he be all right?" Yugi asked anxiously as Moody limped over to the unconscious teen.  
  
The teacher grunted. "Out like a light. Potter, Malfoy, would you please bring Mister Ishtar to the Infirmary. It's located two floors above. Get a move on."  
  
Harry pulled one of the Egyptian's arms over his shoulder and, grumbling, Draco did the same.  
  
Moody turned his eerie stare on the other students, which included Team Six with the Weasley twins and several of their friends.  
  
"Back to the topic," he barked. "The boy'll be fine."  
  
Meanwhile, Harry and Draco were panting as they dragged their teammate up what felt like the hundredth staircase.  
  
"Any idea what happened back there?" Harry wheezed.  
  
"Not a clue," Draco answered, breathing heavily, forgetting to be nasty. "Though I did get this odd feeling."  
  
"Like there was a tension in the air thick enough to touch?"  
  
His eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, something like that."  
  
The nurse met them at the infirmary door, clucking with disapproval. Harry recognized Madam Ponfrey, the same witch that worked in the hospital wing back at Hogwarts. The two got Malik onto one of the many beds and stood, staring each other down.  
  
"Come on," Harry said awkwardly. Ah well, he supposed he would have to get used to Draco being around considering they were in the same team.  
  
Draco nodded wordlessly.  
  
Neither noticed Ishtar sitting on the end of his hikari's bed, gazing after them as they departed. He was in his spirit form, invisible to anyone without a Millenium Item. And there was a mocking smile hovering about his lips.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Bakura padded down the lane at the center of the room, silent as a thief as he made his way toward the door. Ryou was asleep in his soul room but Bakura was curious.  
  
"Where do you think you are going, Tomb Robber?"  
  
Bakura glared at the figure that detached itself from the shadows of an armchair by the small hearth beside the table, which had burned down to glowing coals. He had forgotten Yugi hadn't gone to bed with the others. And Malik had gone out earlier and not come back.  
  
"Not that it's any of your business, Pharaoh, but I want to know what this place is hiding."  
  
Yami's crimson eyes glittered with rueful amusement. "I should have known . . ."  
  
The thief ignored him, pushing the door aside and stepping out into the dark hallway. It was several steps before he noticed that Yami was following him.  
  
"What do you want now, Pharaoh?" he snapped, annoyed.  
  
"I'm coming with you."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Keep your voice down," Yami hissed.  
  
Bakura shot him a hot glare. "Fine, come along if you wish, but don't try to order me around. I'm not one of your subjects."  
  
"Who would want you for a subject?"  
  
The thief ignored the last remark and they started down the stairs in silence.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Harry crept down the corridor barred with moonlight, the silvery folds of the invisibility cloak draped over one arm.  
  
"Are you sure about this, Potter?"  
  
"You're the one that wanted to come, Malfoy," Harry whispered back. "And stop calling me 'Potter'. My name's Harry."  
  
"Fine, but then I'm Draco, not Malfoy."  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
At the top of the spiral staircase leading down to the floor below, Harry paused and shook out the invisibility cloak. The fabric was unusual, like air woven into material. Motioning for Draco to be quiet, they continued, cloaked from watching eyes.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Yami and Bakura had gone halfway down the staircase when the robber landed on one of the steps and he sank into it like water. He cursed, attempting to pull himself free and only succeeding in falling deeper.  
  
"Well, lend a hand, will you?" he snapped at the other who was watching with raised eyebrows. This was probably one of the many, more peculiar defenses.  
  
"Give me a good reason why I should."  
  
Bakura opened his mouth to reply but they were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Yami grabbed the tomb robber by the shoulder and yanked him from the step's clutches, dragging him down the stairs and into a side room. The owners of the footsteps paused at the mouth of the stairs, then continued on its way.  
  
"Who else could be wandering around at this time?"  
  
Bakura shrugged. "Who cares as long as they didn't catch us?"  
  
"You would make a terrible detective."  
  
"Says you."  
  
A sudden burst of maniacal giggles brought their attention to the large windows. Crouched on the wrong side of the glass was an all too familiar figure. The two darkers exchanged looks.  
  
"What was Malik thinking letting Ishtar run loose in a place like this?"  
  
Yami unlatched the window and Bakura hauled Ishtar through it, still chortling.  
  
"What have you been up to?" Yami asked.  
  
The lavender-eyed Egyptian spirit grinned widely up at them and began babbling in rapid Egyptian.  
  
"Slow down," Yami told him. "What passages?"  
  
"This place is honeycombed with secret passages," Ishtar announced, switching to English and looking extremely pleased with himself. "We can get almost anywhere with them without being seen."  
  
He halted all of a sudden, blinking at them as if he had just realized who and where they were. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Seeking some answers," Bakura replied shortly. "Come on."  
  
It did not take long for them to find what they were looking for. The wide, sweeping stairs were even more foreboding at this hour, like a yawning set of monstrous jaws, waiting to snap shut.  
  
"Wait," Yami said quietly.  
  
They stepped into the shadows as two people came down the hall from the other direction, whispering furiously. The disturbing thing about this was that they were only half there, disembodied heads and a hand or occasional leg as they struggled to pull something over them.  
  
They waited till their voices faded down the hall before emerging.  
  
"Well, there's your 'who', Pharaoh."  
  
A thread of Shadow magic disabled the wards temporarily.  
  
At the end of their ascent, the stairs came to a vast hallway ending in a wall of coal black stone that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Grotesque, misshapen creatures were sculpted into the rock, polished till they glowed dimly with a dark, inner fire, portraying an otherworldly air. And above a towering set of doors resembling the gates of Hell, was an eye, the twin of the ones on all the Millenium Items.  
  
But what caught their attention were the scratch marks on the floor just beneath the heavy gate, like something had been clawing at the stone, trying to get out.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The quiet of the study was broken only by the scratching of his pen on the paper as he wrote. Laer had a habit of keeping a diary, recording everything that had happened during the hours before. One never knew what one might have overlooked until having thought back and lived through it again.  
  
The pen stopped abruptly, hovering over the open book as he listened, head cocked. Someone was coming. There were no noises but those of the night, but a sixth sense warned him that all was not as it seemed.  
  
Closing the journal, he replaced it in the center drawer of his desk and slid it shut with a soft click. Setting the pen aside, he pushed the chair back and stood. Being a thief, he always made sure he had more than one exit available along with plenty of places to hide.  
  
Bending, he carefully removed a square section of the hardwood floor, revealing a chamber underneath into which he lowered himself. Sliding the boards back into place, he waited.  
  
Minutes later, the door to the study was flung open. From his position, all Laer could really make out were their boots, but he was certain they wore robes similar to those he donned for missions.  
  
"Where is he?" A voice hissed.  
  
"Gone. Out perhaps."  
  
"There is no way he could have escaped us if he were here."  
  
"Let's go. Search the rest of the house."  
  
Laer smiled crookedly. Their own arrogance had caused them to overlook certain fairly important factors. There were wards scattered all around the house crafted of shadow magic and practically undetectable. Those were dormant of late, but there were other things.  
  
A shriek sounded moments after the thought had crossed his mind, followed by the thump of something heavy hitting the floor. Laer winced. He would have a job cleaning the blood and disposing of the corpse later.  
  
"There's no sign of anyone. And we've lost one of our own."  
  
Laer smirked at the anger in the voice.  
  
"Gather everyone. We're leaving immediately."  
  
Laer sat on the carpeted floor of his sanctuary. What did they have that this Dark Lord desired so desperately. He was surely no great master of crime to send his minions so openly to carry out his bidding. Or maybe he was confident in having the power to cover his steps.  
  
Shrugging, Laer crawled back out into the empty room. Walking back to the chair he had vacated not too long ago, he extracted his diary, opened it to the right page, and calmly, began to finish the entry he had begun, adding a note on his midnight visitors.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Thanks for reading and please review! 


	9. Chapter 9 Other World

Author's Notes:  
  
To JK-Chan: This story has bits from my other story because it started out as a rewrite, though obviously it has strayed far from that track. As to why the end of chapter seven did not coincide with the beginning of chapter eight, I am jumping around to write about several different places at once and connections shall be made later. I apologize if the time of the different settings don't seem to match.  
  
To Lily of the Shadow: I agree. I think I will use the Dark Magician. ^_^ Thanks for your suggestion.  
  
To all other reviewers: Thanks!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 9  
  
In a small, dusty attic room, far removed from the inhabited parts of the mansion, a small, muddy brown creatures crouched, furling and unfurling its wings in thought. It laughed softly, a dry, croaking sound in its throat as it flexed long claws and ran a leathery tongue over needle-sharp teeth. His master would be anxious to hear his report. And after that, when night fell, he would feed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Strategy was taught in an open-air arena large enough to encompass several full-grown dragons. It was so immense that the twenty-one or so students gathered at its center felt very small indeed. Even the yamis were impressed and eager to find the chance to sneak off and use it as a dueling stadium. They were only slightly put off that the duel disk technology did not function properly on the grounds, distorted by protective spells. They would find a way eventually.  
  
"All right, listen up!" Professor Flitwick squeaked, perched on a tall stool at the head of the group. "This is a very dangerous class so I want you all to pay attention! Anyone goofing off will be sent straight to the Headmaster."  
  
/ This'll be good, / Malik thought. And his yami chuckled darkly in agreement.  
  
Most of the whispering ceased as the Professor raised his wand and began drawing diagrams in the air that hung shivering before them to show them what to do.  
  
"For today's exercise, the arena will be divided into three sections. Each area will have its advantages and disadvantages. Learn to spot them and use to the best you can. I know this isn't a great deal of explanation, but the best way to learn in this class is to try it yourselves. Now if everyone would wait for a moment, I'll change the field."  
  
They waited. The nervousness in the air was almost palpable.  
  
Flitwick's wand drew a complicated pattern in the air then stabbed the design at its center. The air all around them wavered as in a heat haze and abruptly, the stadium floor was not as open as it had been.  
  
Rock formations rose around them, windswept sculptures of golden brown stone. The floor beneath their feet had risen several inches, covered in a layer of soft white sand.  
  
"The objective of this exercise is, naturally, to defeat your opponents. Whichever group holds control of the entire field at the end wins. I will transport each of you to your respective areas and the game will start when I shoot green sparks into the sky."  
  
The scene around them blurred then solidified. Team Seven found themselves standing knee-deep in sand with stone structures rising around them on three sides with several gaps here and there worn into the stone.  
  
Malik shook sand from the folds of his robes and padded over to one of the holes,. peering out at an expanse of dunes and random outcroppings. Yugi thought it a wonder how fast his friend had recovered.  
  
"Reminds me of Egypt when Bill took us out to see the pyramids," Ron observed. "Least we don't have to worry about snakes."  
  
"There's going to be a lot worse than snakes coming up," Draco informed him contemptuously. "We don't know what the other teams can throw at us."  
  
"I'm glad we've got Hermione on our side," Harry said brightly.  
  
"I don't know as much about fighting as you do, Harry," Hermione said worriedly. "What if-"  
  
"Quiet," Malik hiussed, interrupting them.  
  
"What is it?" Malfoy drawled.  
  
The Egyptian threw him a dirty look before turning his attention to Hermione. "What was that stunning spell?"  
  
"Stupify," she replied without hesitation.  
  
"And he says he's more powerful than us," Draco scoffed as Malik turned back to his lookout.  
  
Ryou stumbled over to the Egyptian, sinking deeper into the sand with every step.  
  
// At this rate, // Bakura said, somewhat disgruntled. // You'll be out of the game before it's begun. //  
  
/ And are you saying you can do better? / Ryou demanded.  
  
// Exactly. //  
  
/ Fine then. You play. /  
  
Malik glanced at Bakura and raised his eyebrow. The thief ignored the gesture.  
  
"We're never going to get anywhere if we stay here," Harry said. "Is the coast clear?"  
  
"Not quite," Malik replied. "When I give the signal, run. There are four of them and they're coming our way."  
  
Draco started to retort, but shut his mouth, thinking better of it. He wasn't blind and the incident with the obstacle courses had proved these strangers new something they didn't.  
  
There was a tense pause then the Egyptian waved for them to go.  
  
Bakura darted from their stronghold first, throwing himself sideways as he pointed and sent a stunning spell toward a very startled adversary. It caught the unlucky boy in the chest and sent him sprawling. His three companions reacted an instant later, aiming and firing at the Tomb Robber, who rolled out of the way.  
  
Harry caught another in the shoulder as he emerged and just barely missed getting struck by a disarming charm.  
  
Poor Yugi, shorter than everyone else, was forced to wade through sand nearly up to his waist. Staggering, a stunning jet caught him in the stomach, or so everyone thought until the small teen straightened and gave the offenders an uncharacteristic glare.  
  
"You will pay for t-!"  
  
Malik cut him off with a hand. "Pharaoh, we're undercover, remember?"  
  
Harry blinked. Was it his imagination or was Yugi's voice deeper? And his eyes, had they always had that hint of red?  
  
Yami shook him off and jabbed his wand in their opponents' general direction. Two quick flashes and they were out cold.  
  
"You guys are good for beginners," Hermione complemented.  
  
"Hey guys, this way," Harry said, pointing.  
  
"How do you know that?" Malik asked testily.  
  
"Direction spell. Hurry."  
  
A streak of fire shot past as they scurried from one boulder to another, singing the sleeve of Ron's robes. He yelped and fired wildly as he stumbled, forcing Draco to duck in order to avoid being laid flat himself.  
  
"Watch it, Weasley!" he snarled. Then was sent sprawling forward by a silver bolt in the back. He rolled over, groaning.  
  
"There can't be so many of them," Bakura muttered.  
  
"They can revive the stunned ones," Yami reminded him, almost smugly.  
  
The robber glared at him then went back to scanning their surroundings. Where in the world were their attackers? A blast of blue light blew past him, scorching his side and he gritted his teeth in a low growl.  
  
/ Bakura, don't! / but Ryou's desperate call bounced off with no effect.  
  
The light of day seemed to flicker and dim as if a thin veil of darkness had been drawn across the sun. Thee spots along a rocky shelf shimmered and three, extremely confused fellow students appeared, their invisibility spells rendered useless by some force beyond their understanding.  
  
"What the-" Harry gasped. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but he thought he could hear a strange, hollow wind blowing that was interwoven with mournful moans.  
  
There were three flashes of red light and the three figures on the shelf collapsed. Bakura was chuckling under his breath-until Yami caught his gaze.  
  
Cold, slanted, ruby violet eyes fairly blazed under the ever-so-slight swirl of shadows. They stood for several long seconds, staring each other down. Bakura dropped his gaze first and, with a half frustrated and half satisfied snarl, banished the shadow of the Shadow Realm back to its own dimension.  
  
"I-I think that was the last of them," Hermione announced.  
  
"Really?" Ron grunted, nursing a scorched arm, apparently not having noticed a thing. "Felt more like a hundred."  
  
The landscape shimmered and cleared, the sand vanishing to be replaced by solid ground once again. And along with it, all the stunned and unconscious students started waking up. Unfortunately, the effects of the other spells-curses mostly-did not go away.  
  
The bedraggled students gathered at the center of the now plain arena, some still brushing sand that no longer existed off their robes.  
  
"We will be repeating this exercise on different fields all throughout the year," Flitwick informed them. "Right. Class dismissed!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
An orange cat with square marks around its eyes curiously like spectacles dropped through the window and shook itself, sending water spraying in all directions. In the next instant, Menerva McGonagall stood where the animal had been and the feline was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Professor," Dumbledore greeted her with a small smile. "How did your patrol go?"  
  
"Something-odd-is going on around here," the Transfiguration teacher said tiredly, drawing herself up a chair which promptly dropped to the floor with a soft thud.  
  
"How so?" Dumbledore asked mildly, conjuring up two glasses of pumpkin juice.  
  
McGonagall sipped at the cool liquid. "I was passing the lake on my way to relieve Severus when I saw, or I thought I saw, a person standing on the banks. Well, I was walking up to ask the student what he was doing out at this hour, but he was gone. I'm sure I didn't imagine it."  
  
"Further," she continued. "On my way back from my watch, I saw him again. This time, he was standing on the path leading up to the mansion. But I blinked and there was nothing but shadows."  
  
The headmaster took a deep drink from his goblet, peering thoughtfully over the rim of his spectacles. "I've been sensing-dark presences-around this place lately. The two events may be connected. Devin will be arriving in a few hours. I'll ask him to take a look around. Meanwhile, I suggest you go to bed. You look rather-ah-"  
  
"Like a drowned cat," McGonagall finished for him. "Well, I'll be off then, Albus."  
  
"One more thing," Dumbledore said as she reached the door. "I was wondering at your lesson plans for next week. Devin will be teaching wizard's duels and object transfiguration. If you will allow."  
  
"That's fine, Albus," the Professor acknowledged. "I was thinking of teaching animagi transformations actually, and intermediate transfigurations."  
  
He nodded. "Goodnight then. I'll be sure to inform you of any new developments."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Ron stared grimly down at the half-filled sheaf of parchment, his mind not at all intent on concentrating on the report they were supposed to be writing for Moody. His quill lay limply in his hand and his other arm was in a sling.  
  
After the episode in the arena, the hospital wing had been overflowing with patients. Unfortunately for some, the fire spell used by one of the students could not be healed so easily. Ron was one of these. All participants had been excused from further lessons that day.  
  
Draco was still in the infirmary.  
  
"Where's Yugi and co?" Harry asked, flipping through the pages of a book on advanced defense against the dark arts.  
  
"In the library, I think," Hermione told him as she rolled up her finished essay. "Catching up on the studies they missed."  
  
"At this time of night?" Ron was mildly impressed.  
  
"Hey, listen." Harry leaned forward, lowering his voice. "During that last part in Strategy . . ."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Dark Magician was growing concerned. After a long and grueling practice session by the lake, he had closed his eyes and opened them to find himself in another world, or at least, it hadn't been the Shadow Realm. He had blinked and he was back where he had been, leading him to believe he had merely been imagining things.  
  
But on his way back to the mansion, Dark's world had-thinned-somehow, faded away to be replaced by a completely different path winding up to a totally different building. It wasn't as if he had never been in another dimension; what puzzled him was that neither Master Yugi nor Master Yami had summoned him. To top it all off, the place he had briefly been shown felt vaguely familiar, like a memory of some time so long in the past he could not clearly drag up the images.  
  
Shaking his head, Dark made his way up the sweeping stairs to his study. Celtic had brought back several scrolls from one of his many ventures and the magician had wanted to take a look at them. The writing had been old and the yellowing parchment cried of age  
  
Shutting the door softly as he entered, Dark leaned on his staff and surveyed the chamber closely. Centuries of battle had made him wary. And something about the room 'felt' different today.  
  
Checking that all his wards were intact and untouched, Dark took the seat at his desk somewhat reassured. Calling up a globe of made light, he hung the orb in the air above him and extracted the scrolls from a heavily guarded compartment of his desk. Spreading it across the dark surface and weighing down the edges with polished stones, he began to read.  
  
But something was decidedly wrong.  
  
The runes, stark and black against the page, seemed to waver. Even as he watched, the letters twisted and rearranged themselves. Frowning, he reached up to brighten the light-  
  
There was a flash and the light went out all together.  
  
A cold wind swept the room and the mage sensed abruptly that the space all around him was-empty. He stood in a void of nothingness. A tidal wave of vertigo swept over him and his world abruptly crashed down around him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Blood, sweet and tantalizing. He cackled softly, yellow eyes glinting with anticipation. His leathery brown wings rustled slightly as he crept along the ceiling, claws latching delicately into the most imperceptible lines in the wood.  
  
Swinging down and sliding through the crack between door and frame, his small body seemed to flatten and slide like paper. Once inside, its not- quite delicate form filled out and it sat back on its haunches, surveying the room.  
  
Clambering expertly onto the nearest bed, it crouched and sank its teeth into its victim's neck. He would not wake, none of his victims ever did. He would not wake and he would not sleep, mind trapped within the realm locked away five thousand years ago.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: As usual, thanks for reading and please review.  
  
NOTE: I could use some suggestions on what classes for them to take. 


	10. Chapter 10 The Order of the Pheonix

Review Responses:  
  
To Hyperly Mad: I agree that Malfoy is a bit out of character, but think about it as he's trying to 'start over again'. As for the Ghouls, they aren't really supposed to be evil in my fic. Not going to be totally good but not throroughly bad either. Yami will eventually specialize in something. And I'm sorry if it got confusing. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
To Spelling master : ??? I'm not quite sure I know what you're talking about...  
  
To Lily of the Shadow: He he. Very amusing wording. I really ,Really sorry for tking so long. Just been a bit short on inspiration.  
  
To silverrowan: Yes the Ghouls are coming to the school.  
  
To all other reviews: Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Qwen didn't like the idea of apparating. They had said it was possible to leave bits of oneself behind if the spell was not performed correctly. And combined with the magic of a transfer circle . . . to say the least, it worried him. There was no way he could warn anybody about anything if he ended up with half of him in the house and the other in Dumbledore's office. Pieces of someone could only disclose so much information.  
  
Devin smiled as he entered the room. "Ready?"  
  
"As much as I'll ever be," Qwen muttered under his breath, but nodded. He had to take some risks if the job was to be done right.  
  
"Good." The auror took a watch from his pocket and glanced at it. "Three, two, one . . ."  
  
And the room blinked out of existence. A split second after, the darkness cleared to be replaced by the interior of a comfortable room with odd little contraptions whirring in the background. It could only be Albus Dumbledore's office.  
  
I guess that wasn't so bad, Qwen thought, surprised, as he turned to face the desk where sat an old man in violet robes and gold-rimmed, half- moon spectacles.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Yugi, Ryou, Malik, Harry, Ron, Draco, and Hermione were sitting around the table having breakfast when a disheveled Sirius all but fell through the door, panting with the exertion of sprinting up so many flights of stairs.  
  
"What's the matter?" Harry asked, leaping to his feet and grabbing a chair for his Godfather.  
  
"You look awful," Hermione said, putting down her book.  
  
"There's been," the wizard said hoarsely, "an accident."  
  
"What sort of accident?" Draco wanted to know, curious, though his voice sounded bored and indifferent.  
  
"Someone was—attacked—last night."  
  
Yugi gasped. "Who? Are they all right? What happened to them?"  
  
"Madam Ponfrey's trying to figure out what attacked—the person. There're no marks, no evidence of spells." Sirius frowned. "This is very serious."  
  
"Who was it?" Ron asked suspiciously. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
The Guide looked steadily at him, his face extremely grave. "It was one of your brothers."  
  
*****************  
  
The moment they entered the hospital wing, Yugi knew that something was wrong. The nurse bustled about the medicine cabinets while Professor McGonagall hovered over a bed at the far end.  
  
"Yugi, look." Ryou pointed to the millennium Ring which was glowing faintly.  
  
"That's not all," Malik added. "The eye on the puzzle and the rod."  
  
Hurriedly, both Yugi and Ryou stiffed their Items under their robes and the rod disappeared once again into Malik's pocket.  
  
They approached the prone figure in the bed and Ron gasped. "Fred."  
  
George was sitting by the bed, looking tired and more upset than Harry had ever seen him. He didn't even notice them as they stood around him.  
  
"Only five minutes," the nurse intoned sternly.  
  
They nodded mutely and she vanished into her office, muttering about possible combinations of healing spells and restorative potions. McGonagall nodded to them and exited.  
  
Unlike the petrified victims from their second year, Fred didn't look like he had been attacked. In fact, in all appearance, he was totally unharmed—like he was asleep.  
  
"What do you think?" Harry asked quietly so Madam Pomfrey wouldn't hear, turning to the others. "I—Yugi? Is something wrong?"  
  
Yugi shook his head speechlessly. "N—no. It's just—It's just—Can't you see it?"  
  
"See what?" Ron asked, confused.  
  
It was Yugi's turn to be confused. "His neck. The—"  
  
"All right. Everybody out!" Madam Pomfrey announced, reappearing. "Five minutes is up. A crowd of watchers won't make him better any faster. Now, out."  
  
They went.  
  
Other students were just trudging down the stairs on their way to breakfast, still half asleep. Harry was not hungry anymore.  
  
"Yugi, what were you saying? About Fred?" Ron was really worried, as was to be expected.  
  
Yugi answered, his amethyst eyes troubled. "It was a fang mark, I think. You know, like he'd been bitten by a vampire."  
  
"But there aren't any vampires here," Hermione gasped, aghast. "And I'm sure Madam Pomfrey would have recognized it."  
  
Yugi shook his head, mystified. "I don't know . . ."  
  
As they sat down at breakfast, another worry was added to their quickly expanding list. Dumbledore announced gravely that there had been a mass breakout from the wizard prison Azkaban and, in effect, several of the most legendary Deatheathers alive were on the loose.  
  
"This is stupid!" Ron exploded, slamming his books down on his desk as they found seats in the History of Magic classroom. "You-Know-Who is getting stronger, something's attacking people, and we're here learning about goblins who died a hundred years ago!"  
  
Someone cleared their throat and they looked up.  
  
Harry gaped. "Bill! What are you doing here?"  
  
"To make a long story short, Professor Dumbledore asked if I'd like to come in and teach a unit on Ancient Egyptian history." The eldest Weasley son grinned at Ron, who was looking a bit abashed. "I'd prefer you keep a civil tongue in my class, thank you."  
  
Ron grumbled a barely audible apology and dropped into his chair as the rest of the class filed in.  
  
"Hi." The young man said, depositing his bag behind the teacher's desk. "Some of you might know me but for those who don't, I'm Bill Weasley and I will be your history professor for the next few months."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The old man motioned for him to take a seat before him. Qwen eyed the armchair suspiciously before lowering himself gingerly onto the very edge. Devin sketched a chair in the air with the stick of wood they called wands and sat in the overstuffed manifestation that materialized.  
  
"So," Dumbledore began. "What brings you to me?"  
  
The question was directed at Qwen.  
  
"I'm a relative of two students here," the Ghoul lied easily. "Their mother wanted me to give them a letter. She's really worried about their safety, with the rising of the Dark Lord and all."  
  
"Why didn't you just use an owl?" Devin inquired, brows furrowed.  
  
Qwen shrugged, plastering an innocent, slightly apologetic smile on his face. "Well, you see, my aunt—the two are my cousins—is rather suspicious and edgy these days. She would hate to have her letters intercepted, even if they are harmless. Poor soul. She's been on edge ever since my uncle died."  
  
"Who are your cousins?" Dumbledore asked while Devin looked sympathetic.  
  
"Kahan and Yahar."  
  
"Ah." The headmaster taped his fingers pensively. "You will be staying for a while then?"  
  
"So I can stay?" Qwen relaxed in relief.  
  
"Certainly." Dumbledore smiled. "I will have an extra bed moved into their dormitory. You are welcome to remain as long as you like."  
  
Turning to Devin, the aged wizard nodded slightly. "Would you please take—ah?"  
  
"Qwen."  
  
"Would you please take Qwen to his cousins' dorm. Our meeting will commence tonight at the usual time."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Yugi shifted restlessly in his seat. Bill knew a lot about Ancient Egypt, but nowhere near as much as Yami. Seeing as the Pharaoh used to rule it, that was no surprise.  
  
[ Ryou, when is this class over? ]  
  
The white-haired teen glanced around, searching for a clock. He finally spotted one on the teacher's desk and squinted at it. [ Thirty minutes, I think. ]  
  
Yugi groaned mentally.  
  
[ Bored? ] Ryou asked, amused. [ At least you don't have to listen to your yami correcting every minor, unimportant detail that the professor gets wrong. ]  
  
[[ I heard that! ]]  
  
Yugi chuckled, earning himself a few strange looks. He pretended he had just read a funny passage in the history book open before him. In truth, he had barely skimmed the text.  
  
On Yugi's other side, Malik was frowning at his book, not really seeming to see it.  
  
[ What's the matter? ] Ryou asked, peering over Yugi's head at the Egyptian.  
  
Malik shook his head. [ I don't know. I feel like something has just walked under my nose that I should know about. Or more like someone familiar that I should recognize . . . ]  
  
[ How much sleep did you get last night? ] Yugi asked, concerned.  
  
[ Not a lot. ]  
  
[ There you go ] Ryou said consolingly. [ I'm sure you haven't missed anything too important. ]  
  
[ Maybe you're right. ]  
  
As everyone filed out at the end of class, Ron gave Draco a puzzled look. "What's up, Malfoy? You've been strangely quiet. Cat got your tongue or have you run out of insults?"  
  
For once, Draco did not take the bait. His mind was too occupied with more important matters. His reply was simple, sulky, and baffling. "My father."  
  
Yugi paused to look up at him, his usual, empathetic self. "What about him? Did something happen to him?"  
  
"Oh, he's fine—which is part of the problem. He wants to know where I am and what I'm doing. He says he's expecting me back within the week and he'll send people to find me if I don't return his letter. I—didn't tell me I was coming. He wouldn't take kindly to what I did."  
  
"Just make up a story," Malik advised.  
  
"You don't know my father," Draco snapped, annoyed. "He's not the kind of person that forgives lies easily. And he's bound to find out sooner or later."  
  
"Mine was probably worse," Malik retorted. "Though in the end, they're still our fathers." Unconsciously, his hand slipped into his pocket and gripped the Millennium rod, a shadow crossing his tanned features.  
  
Hermione raised a puzzled eyebrow. "Was?"  
  
"He was killed," he replied shortly and none of them dared to press him.  
  
Malik went through the rest of the day in a black mood. Yugi and Ryou kept giving him sympathetic, knowing looks. But all they would tell Harry and the others was 'it's better if you wait till he feels like telling you'.  
  
[ I wish we could cheer him up though ] Yugi remarked to Ryou privately. Malik in a bad mood was infinitely worse than Malik in a good mood any day.  
  
[ Yes. But how? ]  
  
[[ Don't tie yourselves in knots over it, ]] Bakura told them almost assuringly, or as assuring as he ever let himself get. [[ He'll wake up tomorrow all better. ]]  
  
Yami snorted in the back of Yugi's mind. [[ Your capacity for sympathy disgusts me. ]]  
  
[[ No one asked your opinion, Pharaoh. ]] The Tomb Robber replied acidly. [[ Now, hikari, about later. I wanted to go see if the library had any books on more—useful—charms . . . ]] . . .  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Harry mumbled sleepily. Something was brushing his face and he swatted at it. He woke with a start to find himself staring at a golden bird with flaming, red and gold plumage.  
  
"Fawks!" he exclaimed in a hushed whisper.  
  
The pheonix hummed in approval then took off, hovering in front of his face. Fawks darted to the door of the dormitory then back, borne on silent wings.  
  
Harry climbed out of bed and pulled the curtains back around it so no one would know he was gone.  
  
************************  
  
Bakura waited till nightfall to take control while Ryou slept in hs soul room. Slinking over to Malik's bed, he shook the Egyptian roughly. "Wake up, Malik. The Pharaoh's already up."  
  
"Why?" Malik yawned, rolling out of bed still half asleep.  
  
"Just for a walk," Yami said, opening the door and glancing both ways before stepping out. "And I thought you'd be interested to know that Harry has disappeared. I thought I heard him leave twenty minutes ago."  
  
"At midnight? Again?"  
  
"Are you interested or not?"  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
"Then be quiet."  
  
Nothing had changed since their last escapade; Ishtar had filled him in on the memory. But as the passed each dormitory door, all three noted with approval the traces of protective wards cast very recently over each threshold.  
  
Violet eyes narrowed suddenly as Malik cocked his head, listening. "Do you—?"  
  
"Yes," Bakura murmured. "That way."  
  
Yami lead them through a doorway veiled by the tapestry of an ancient scholar and into a short passage, which ended in a shut door. Light seeped through the cracks around it, a faint, bright, outline in the dark.  
  
"—summon monsters." That was Professor Snape's voice. "The Dark Lord holds them high in his regards. And their powers are of nothing I have ever heard."  
  
"But really, Severus," came Professor McGonagall's tense response. "Are you sure? But, where could the creatures come from?"  
  
"They won't say. Even when the Dark Lord questioned them, all they would say was 'from the Shadows'."  
  
Three pairs of eyes widened.  
  
"But why did the Order want me here?" Was that Harry's voice?  
  
Dumbledore replied in his calm voice so it took several minutes for what he said to sink in. "We thought it best if you were are...Voldemort has ordered these new Egyptian wizards to send an assassin—"  
  
"What was that?" Snape's hiss made the three listeners freeze. A floorboard had creaked when Yami shifted his position so he could hear better.  
  
A chair scraped inside followed by hurried footsteps.  
  
Throwing caution to the winds, they ran for it with Snape's shout ringing after them.  
  
"Here!" Malik halted before a wall covered in rune-like designs. Tracing his long fingers over three consecutive figurines, the panel slid aside to reveal a rectangular hole.  
  
Without a second glance back, they ducked in and the panel slid closed behind them.  
  
"Ishtar discovered this on the last escapade," Malik answered their unasked questions.  
  
[[ You can all thank me later. ]]  
  
They nodded and started back toward their room, Malik in the lead. They all had a lot to chew on, but the night's surprises were not over.  
  
As they turned the corner, there was a startled gasp.  
  
"Master Yami!"  
  
"Dark Magician?" Yami exclaimed, flabbergasted, only just remembering to keep his voice down, just incase the walls of their passage was not as thick as they appeared.  
  
The spellcaster bowed deeply. "I am so glad I found you! I have no idea where this is or why I am here. Did you summon me?"  
  
The Pharaoh shook his head speechlessly.  
  
"Come on, all of you," Malik said, moving past the violet-clad magician. "You can catch up on the news while we move. I want to get some sleep before tomorrow. We have Transfiguration and another blasted obstacles run."  
  
**************  
  
Snape cursed. He had lost the three spies—but not before he had gotten a good look at them.  
  
He stalked back through the halls, quivering with anger.  
  
Three, new students were going to be in a lot of trouble.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Heron glanced up as the door to his cell was slid back and someone filled the doorway. The woman was tall with wavy black hair and clothed in a thick robe the color of dried blood. But what made Heron's stomach turn was the form that loomed behind her, a black-winged lady with white, pupil- less eyes, and the card of a golden dragon held in a plastic holder on a chain about her waist.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Please R&R 


	11. Chapter 11 Seeing Double

**AN** Gah! It's been a million years since I last updated! Sorry all, but I've just been so busy with school. I wonder if anyone still remembers this fic?

**Chapter 11**

Yugi hustled the magician into the restroom and shut the door, locking it in case the other members of his team decided on an emergency, midnight appointment with the toilet.

"Oo—kay," he said, turning to the monster. "So you don't know how you got here and neither does Yami?"

The magician nodded in confirmation.

Yugi bit his lip. It was one in the morning and they already had a plateful of problems. Ah well. He shook his head and smiled as he looked back up at the Dark Magician. He would deal with what fate gave him to work with.

"Well then," Yugi perked up, his eyes sparkling. "You'd be kind of difficult to hide, so I see only one good solution."

/ This is ridiculous / Malik grumbled. / Whoever heard of 'guarding' a bathroom/

The other members of their team were all in bed, slumbering deeply under the sleep charm Bakura was in the middle of casting, the Millennium Ring glowing faintly. Harry had somehow gotten back before them.

/ This ought to be worth watching. / There was an annoyingly amused note in Ishtar's voice followed by a maniacal giggle.

/ Is there something you know that I'm not seeing/ Malik snapped, dropping his head back against the wall beside the bathroom door.

In reply, a picture floated into his mind.

The Egyptian sat bolt upright. "Baku—!"

The robber clamped a hand over his mouth. "Quiet, you fool!"

Malik shoved the hand away with an indignant glare, but he lowered his voice. "The statues on that terrace upstairs."

He did not have to say anything more as comprehension dawned in the other's eyes. "The Dark Magician was among them."

Suddenly, the restroom door opened and Yugi slipped out, shutting it again quietly as he headed for his trunk.

"No offense, Yugi, but you're nowhere near tall enough for the Dark Magician to fit into any of those clothes," Malik observed.

"He's not going to _wear_ them," Yugi said patiently. "He's a magician after all. He can change what he's wearing into variations of something. I just need to find an example. Ah, got it!"

Straightening with a small pile of neatly folded garments, the diminutive King of Games vanished back through the door.

"I just hope these wizards don't connect the statue with the real thing."

Twenty minutes later, the door opened again on a drowsing Malik and a yawning Ryou. Bakura had relinquished control to a sleepy Ryou so he could think in peace in his soul room. Yugi stepped out followed by—the Dark Magician?

Malik blinked away the grogginess and stood up. If he had not been so familiar with Duel Monsters, he might not have recognized the young man now standing before them—discounting the peculiar coloration of his hair and eyes. But looking at the three of them, they were not exactly ones to comment.

The magician still wore robes, but more in the fashion of the modern, English wizards and minus the protective battle armor. He had a normal, pointed hat rather than a helmet, but his staff was much the same. His long, pale violet hair was held back in a loose ponytail with a simple, black thong. What really amused Malik, however, was the look of total uncertainty on the monster's face, not at all like he was one of the most powerful spellcasters in the whole of the Shadow Games _and_ the Pharaoh's favorite monster.

"Are you sure about this, Mater Yugi?" he asked anxiously.

"Sure. Yami's working on a way to send you back—the normal spell isn't working—and he says it'll be a while. So meantime, you'll have to stay with us."

"Uh, Yugi," Ryou piped up hesitantly. "What will you tell the teachers and the headmaster? This is supposed to be a battle training camp. I can't imagine they'd take kindly to a foreign magician popping up overnight."

"I've thought about that," Yugi answered readily. "He can be my guardian, you know—a friend of Grampa's. And maybe, he was a wizard, and when he found out about us going to a magic school, he decided to—um—pay a visit."

"You seriously think it'll work?" Malik asked doubtfully.

"It's worth a shot."

/ They'd have to be really dense// Bakura observed sardonically. / With major thick skulls. /

"Qwen!" the brothers exclaimed in unison as the door closed behind the pale-haired Ghoul.

"Nice to see you too," he greeted, grinning.

They wasted no time before sitting down and filling one another in on what had been happening to them for the past weeks.

Kahan frowned intently as he listened to Qwen's detailed account of their recent troubles, exchanging a look with Yahar as he stopped talking.

"There's something you should know," he said finally.

Qween felt a leaden weight settling in his stomach as he braced himself for bad news. It was always better to expect bad news than good news in his philosophy.

Yahar took a deep breath, but what came out of his mouth was the last thing Qwen had expected to hear. "Master Malik is here."

"It's almost Halloween," Ron said excitedly at breakfast, peering at the notice that had been tacked on a bulletin board beside the door. "There's going to be a costume party and games—with prizes for the winners. And some of the students and staff are doing a skit."

Harry stifled a yawn. "Yeah. Any idea what you're going to be?"

The redhead paused, frowning. "Not really."

"How about a weasel?" Draco suggested offhandedly.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Ron said with a dark scowl.

Draco snickered.

"Where's Yugi?" Hermione asked, hoping to distract the two from the argument that was about to start.

And indeed, the boy with the spiky hair was not sitting at the table. Nor was he anywhere in the room.

"He got a message saying that a friend of his is paying a visit," Malik said quickly. "He went to see the headmaster. He'll be back before you know it."

Too late for that, Bakura mused. They already know he's gone.

Malik gave an annoyed, strictly mental sigh. That is totally beside the point.

All six pairs of eyes turned to the door as it opened, expecting to see Yugi step through, smiling like always. They nearly jumped out of their skins as MadEye Moody's head poked through the opening instead, his magical, blue eye sweeping restlessly around the room as he spoke.

"You two," Moody growled in his gruff voice, nodding at Malik and Ryou. "Professor McGonagall would like a word with the two of you in her office."

Exchanging looks of anxiety and uneasiness, the two stood and walked out into the hall. Moody shut the door and beckoned them over with one, bony hand.

"If you would please come with me."

They made their way along the corridor and up a flight of stairs in complete silence. The Egyptian's mind was racing, already crafting excuses for all the situations that could have gone wrong. He thought he knew what this was about. They had not exactly been inconspicuous during the night.

They entered the Transfigurations professor's office and the first thing they noticed was Yugi seated in a chair before the large, imposing desk behind which sat the equally imposing woman, her hair pulled back in a severe bun. The Dark Magician was standing behind their friend's chair. The next thing they noted—immediately wishing they hadn't—was Snape hovering to the side, a sneer plastered across his sallow face.

"Where's Professor Dumbledore?" Ryou whispered to Malik, glancing around the room again. "I thought Yugi was going to see him?"

"The headmaster was summoned to a meeting in the Ministry," McGonagall replied, catching the inquiry.

She gestured sternly at two waiting chairs. "Please sit down."

"If you don't mind," Malik said, staring around uneasily. "I'd rather stand."

"Don't be ridiculous," McGonagall sighed. "Sit down."

Yahar tapped lightly on the door and pushed it open, cursing his older brother for saddling him with the task of errand running. None of them wanted to be the first one to tell their former master what had happened to his former gang member.

"Are you looking for someone?" a girl with bushy brown hair asked, looking up from her book.

A glance told the Ghoul that there was no one else in the room. Not sure whether he should be relieved, disappointed, or concerned, Yahar nodded.

"Is Malik Ishtar in this dormitory?"

The girl nodded, laying her book down on the table. "He is. But he's not here right now. He's up in McGonagall's office."

Hoping his master hadn't gotten himself into hot water again, Yahair pushed the door all the way upen and stepped inside.

"Umm, when he gets back, could you please give him this message from me?"

Pulling a sealed envelope from his robes, he laid it on the table. "It's very important he gets it as soon as possible."

"No problem," the girl agreed amiably. "Who should I say it's from?"

Yahar hesitated, thinking fast. "Hyozanryu."

"Professor Snape informs me that you three were out of bed last night," McGonagall started bluntly. "Is this true?"

Malik opened his mouth to deny it at once, but Yugi beat him to it.

"We were."

The Egyptian stared at his friend like he had grown a second head. What are you doing?

Yugi glanced quickly at him. Professor Snape probably saw us. For all we know, he might have something that makes us tell the truth if he thought we were lying—and then where would we be? Better to tell as much of the truth was we can.

Malik shook his head mentally. He did not understand the Game King's logic.

McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "What were you doing out of bed?"

"We were lost," Malik lied swiftly before Yugi could continue his hair-brained ideas of telling these people the truth. "We were playing cards up on the terrace with the monster statues and it was dark before we knew it. We got lost on our way back to our dorm and couldn't find our way back. We got scared when we heard someone behind us and ran for it."

Ryou thought the professor's eyebrows were going to make a permanent home in her hair. Are you sure you know what you're doing, Malik?

Sort of.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. It was clear she did not quite believe them, but she decided to let it pass—for the moment. These matters would have to wait until Dumbledore returned.

"Still, you are aware that wandering around in the middle of the night is against school rules?" Snape spoke up suddenly.

"No, we weren't," Malik replied truthfully—though, he added in his mind, it was logical.

The potions master's lip curled. "Well, even if there will be no points deducted, I am giving all of you detention this evening."

A second later, Snape found himself face to face with the Dark Magician's staff. "I will not allow you to harm Master Yugi."

Yugi gave himself a mental kick.

The potions master raised an eyebrow. The headmaster would have to be informed of this man's volatile nature.

"I don't know where you went to school," he sneered. "But here, detention is when a student who has done wrong—ah—serves there time for their mistake. It is a perfectly fair punishment."

"They aren't at lunch," Ron observed, craning his neck to look around the Great Hall where the noon meal was being held.

"I'll go check if they're up in our dorm," Harry volunteered, sliding off the bench and heading for the stairs.

Hermione hurried after him. "I'll come with you. I have a message for Malik."

As they passed an empty classroom on their way down the corridor towards their dormitory, Harry heard voices—familiar voices. He recognized Yugi's concerned tone.

Motioning for Hermione and turning, Harry was about to push the door open when he heard his name. Pausing, he lowered his hand and crouched down, holding his breath as he listened.

"—senidng an assassin after Harry."

"Monsters from the Shadows," Ryou repeated worriedly. "They must be using the Shadow Realm."

"But is that possible?" Yugi queried.

The next voice that spoke was deeper though somewhat similar to that of the spiky-haired boy. Harry did not recognize it and it made him blink.

"Any monster sent here we can easily deal with."

"True," came a growling voice, also anonymous. "But even if we banish it back to the Shadow Realm, it will have seen us and report us back to its master."

Malik snorted. "Chances are, this Dark Lord has already had an earful about us from his new cronies and is already now planning how to steal the Items."

He peered through the crack between door and doorframe and blinked. Were there two Yugis? A small gasp from Hermione told him that she had seen them too.

There was a made cackle that made the hair rise on the back of his neck and he could tell that the speaker's lips were curved in a contemptuous smirk. "If he is after what is ours, let him attempt to face our wrath."

Harry backed away from the door, mind racing in overdrive. Who were these people? They couldn't both be seeing double.

Thanks for reading and please review.


	12. Chapter 12 Starting the Chase

Author's Note: Hi, I know it's been a while and I must apologize profusely for my lateness. Take this as a not so early Christmas present, I suppose. I hope it's not too haphazard. I threw it together rather fast. It makes me so guilty reading all those reviews—though in a good way of course. Has it really been two years? Amazing.

Thank you all very much. I'm glad people like this story so far. And I hope this chapter goes well.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Chapter 12**

His head snapping up like that of a startled deer, Malik motioned for the others to be quiet, violet eyes narrowed as he turned to face the door. The others waited, bewildered, as he took a silent step towards the entrance. Yugi noticed too late that the door had been left open just a crack. Snaking out one slender arm, the Egyptian grasped the handle and flung it open. The hallway was empty.

But Malik knew better. Years of ruling the criminal underworld had honed his senses to razor sharpness. He would bet his Millennium Rod that someone had been listening at the door just seconds before. The only question was who? And he strongly suspected that he knew the answer to that as well.

-----------------------------------

"You wouldn't believe what we just saw," Harry announced in a whisper as he and Hermione returned to the Great Hall and sank back into their seats.

"What?" Ron asked distractedly, stabbing his fork at a piece of toast that kept sliding just out of reach. "Did Yugi grow a second head or something."

"Something like that," Harry replied in all seriousness.

Ron missed the toast and hit the table, the prongs of his fork vibrating with the force of the impact as he gaped open-mouthed at his friend. "What? Well, why didn't you call Madam Ponfrey? Or Professor McGonagall? That's a dirty prank to pull on someone!"

"Calm down, that's not it." Grabbing the redhead's shoulders, Harry and Hermione forced him back down into his chair, glancing nervously at the teachers' table. "Listen—"

But before anything more could be said, Sirius appeared at the head of their table and began shepherding them for one of the practice fields out back. Any thought of telling the others anything fled their minds as they were thrown into their first combat flying lesson of the season, which involved a lot of flying objects and makeshift weapons to keep them from being knocked off their brooms. The sight of Malik and Bakura zigzagging through the air on broomsticks, laughing maniacally as they hit bludgers at each other with all their might was enough to make Harry forget everything besides how to duck so that his head remained firmly attached to its proper place between his shoulders. At the end of the session, exhausted and drenched in sweat, they trooped back up to their dormitories to clean up before Professor Snape could give them detention on account of hygiene. And there was no chance to talk without the three foreign students hearing with them trailing not five feet behind.

Arriving in their rooms at last, Harry was halted in his tracks by the sight of Sirius seated at the table with a mousy boy in the chair next to him, beaming at them from beneath a mop of chocolate brown hair. His godfather coughed, motioning for him to proceed further into the room and make space for the others. "Can I introduce you to your new teammate?"

"Obviously you're going to no matter what we say," Draco drawled, but Sirius ignored him.

"This is David Malone from North America. I expect you to treat him with all respect," he glared at Malfoy for emphasis, "and make him feel welcome. He's come a long way."

Malik paused outside as a shrill, excited voice he did not recognize cut through the air. "It's nice to meet you. I'm David and I can't tell you how happy I am to be here helping to defend us all from You-Know-Who."

Hermione coughed. "Um, it's nice to meet you too. I'm Hermione. What is it you're reading?"

Raising his eyebrows, Ryou made to step past the Egyptian into the room but the boy's next words froze him in his tracks. "Oh this? I brought it with me. It's a magazine—got all the latest news on Duel Monsters tournaments, cards, and stuff. Mother got it for me as a sort of going-away good luck present."

"Duel Monsters? What are Duel Monsters?"

"You don't know?" the new kid demanded in incredulity. "It's only one of the most popular games in the world right now!"

Yugi gulped from where he and his two companions were hidden on the other side of the partially open door. This was a nasty turn of events.

"It's a card game—you've got to have seen it before even if you don't play. And then there are these famous duelists."

A nervous tingle ran down Yugi's back. One of us has _got_ to go in there.

"I haven't had a chance to look at it yet," the boy admitted, picking up the magazine.

Not waiting for any further prompting, Malik shoved the door open and entered the room, faking a huge yawn. "What's up?" Catching sight of the magazine, he snatched it from the new student's hands with an exclamation. "This is fantastic! I've been looking for this edition."

Riffling through the pages, Malik quickly located the page he was looking for. With a blink of his eyes, the page darkened as shadows crept up the glossy paper. As the darkness left, the images and biographies of the world's top duelists were replaced by information on several rare cards. It was a good thing he was so familiar with rare cards.

"Do you play?" David asked, all enthusiasm. "I brought my deck. Maybe we could duel some time?"

"Sure." Malik grinned. "Though I'm more of a—ah—collector."

"That's great!" The boy was all but bouncing on the heels of his feet as Malik handed the magazine back to him. "You know, I wasn't expecting anyone here to have a deck, but I kept hoping anyway. I mean, there's always got to be at least one person who plays the game."

David's babbling was really starting to get on the Egyptian's nerves but a moment later, Malik would have given anything to have the kid running at the mouth about how great Duel Monsters was again. But instead, hazel eyes focused on his two friends as they slipped into the room behind him.

"Have we ever met?" David was squinting at Yugi, bewildered. "I could swear I've seen you somewhere before."

"Well, I have been to America once or twice," Yugi replied nervously.

"California?"

"Maybe."

"Do you play Duel Monsters?" The boy was still frowning as he struggled with the familiarity the other magician sparked in him. He was sure he had seen that face before somewhere but the name only just escaped him. He had never been good with names and faces. "Maybe I saw you in one of the tournaments?"

Yugi managed a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I don't duel much, but it's possible. My grandpa took me to a few competitions while we were traveling."

Malik snorted silently. The King of Games didn't just duel a little. Hell, dueling was about all he ever did.

They were saved by Sirius as he stood and stretched, heading for the door. "Well then, I'll just leave you lot to tidy up. Please bring David up to date on your class schedules and meal times. If there are any problems, just send me a note with one of those silver birds like I taught you."

"Oh, that reminds me," Hermione interrupted hastily, rummaging around in her book bag as she turned to Malik. "I have a letter for you from someone called—ah—Hyozanryu."

Ryou and Yugi cast sideways glances in their friend's direction as he accepted the envelope, his face blank of expression. What did she mean a Duel Monster had sent Malik a letter? Impossible. Or was it? Judging by the slight frown that flashed across his face as he slit open the envelope and unfolded the paper tucked within, it was serious and not entirely pleasing. David had that confused look on his face again but said nothing as Malik glared at him.

Harry had been watching the whole exchange keenly while trying his best to be discreet. The three transfers didn't seem like bad people—most of the time at any rate—but could they have something to do with what happened to Fred? They were decidedly eccentric in many ways, but then being wizards made all of them rather abnormal to begin with. Still, if they didn't know something, why were they always so secretive? And if they weren't acting strange now, he didn't know hat they were doing. Now that he thought about it, none of them ever really talked about themselves—their pasts, where they were from, their family or friends. Could Voldemort have sent them? But no, from what they had overheard, the three weren't in league with the Dark Lord. If anything, they seemed just as wary of him as Harry was. But then who were they?

------------------------------------

Padding through the halls of the mansion, the Dark Magician found himself amazed at the sheer number of spells that overlaid everything from the flower vases on the bottom floor to the gargoyles upon the windowsills. He had not seen this much magic in a place since his days in Ancient Egypt. And what strange magic this was too, more delicate and less vibrant than the spells he was accustomed to. What had Master Yugi said he was looking out for? Any holes in the mansion's defense or any suspicious persons—that was it. Problem was, as far as he or any other monster was concerned, the mansion's defenses were full of nothing but holes, great gaping ones especially about the terraces. He made a mental note to inform Master Yugi that he need not concern himself with the statues upon the upper floors. His marble likeness was far from realistic and even farther from being physically accurate.

Rounding a corner, he paused, a sudden chill racing down his spine. Just ahead of him was a wide, sweeping staircase leading up into total darkness, curtained off by a heavy iron chain that looked as though it had just been put into place not so long ago. The cold that radiated outward from that darkness was almost a tangible force pushing at him, trying to force him back around the corner and away. There was something up there, something very old and very—how could he describe it? Wrong somehow. Twisted.

He had to warn Master Yugi at once.

Turning, the Dark Magician hurried back the way he had come onto to run straight into a young man with graying blonde hair and a face lined with weariness. "I am sorry," he apologized, helping the man to his feet and casting another glanced back over his shoulder.

"I haven't seen you around here before," the man said, dusting off his robes and peering curiously at him, holding out a hand. "Can I help you? My name is Remus, Remus Lupin."

"I only just arrived this morning." The magician accepted the offered hand and shook it firmly, remembering to keep to his cover story. "I'm Mahad."

An image flashed through his mind of a huge, gray wolf snarling with teeth bared and he stepped back hurriedly, startled. The professor was still standing there with his amiable smile, as human as he had been seconds before.

This was indeed a very strange world that his masters had fallen into.

---------------------------------

"So this picture was taken above the city clock tower?" Devin nodded and the headmaster frowned, bending his head until his long nose was almost touching the murky photographs. "Extraordinary. I have never seen anything like it."

"That was what I was worried about." The auror sighed, leaning back in his chair. "We think that's what took out the muggle building downtown, but there was a thunder storm that night so no one really saw what happened. It almost looks like a dragon, but even the experts we've consulted have never seen a species quite like this one. And that creature that sank that ship to the west—fishes just don't get that big! I mean, the bloke was forty feet long or more by eye-witness account."

"Are you sure it wasn't a kraken? They have been known to attack ships in the past, especially during such trouble times as these."

"Positive."

Tapping his chin thoughtfully, Dumbledore examined the photographs once again, intrigued. "Interesting, very interesting. Have you spoken to Severus about these sightings?"

"I have," Devin admitted uneasily. "But what he said—about those Egyptian wizards summoning demons to help them, can it be possible? That kind of sheer power…."

"At this point, my friend, I am willing to believe that anything is possible."

"What of the Weasley twin? I heard that he was attacked."

"He is still unconscious in the hospital wing. We can't be sure it was an attack, and I don't want there to be panic before there has to be. But if he doesn't wake up soon, we're going to have to warn th students. I was thinking about warning them about the monsters as well."

"Are you sure?" Devin frowned uneasily. "We don't even know what they are yet."

The headmaster smiled. "That is the beauty of it. There is always the possibility that someone here knows more about it than we do. Who knows? We just might get lucky."

--------------------------------

It didn't take a genius to realize that David was going to be a problem. Pacing the floor of his soul room, Bakura drummed his fingers impatiently on his arm, scowling. And he didn't at all like the looks Harry and Hermione were throwing at his hikaris and his friends. But as it always did, the bad just got worse as they sat down in their history class. Bill had set up several diagrams across the front of the room, many of them full-color photographs of Ancient Egyptian wall paintings and engravings. Tucked away in the corner of one of the largest posters was the distinct image of the Pharaoh's Puzzle.

As Bill dismissed them for supper, Harry grabbed Ron and Hermione and they ducked into an empty room just down the hall, full of crystal orbs of all sizes set upon rows and rows of shelves. Easing the door shut, he scanned the cramped space nervously. "Listen, Ron. What Hermione and I saw…."

He explained quickly, the words pouring out of him in a rush as he described the three strangers who could have passed for Yugi, Ryou, and Malik's identical twins. By the end of it, Ron was gaping at him. "You sure you weren't dreaming, mate? You could have been more tired than you thought."

"But I saw it too," Hermione said calmly, flipping another page in the enormous, black book she had borrowed from the library just before class.

"How can you read at a time like this?" Ron demanded, incredulous. "We're discussing spies here!"

"I don't believe that's true." Running her finger down the page, Hermione bit here lip. "Yes, here, I think I've got it."

"Got what?" Harry asked impatiently.

"It's just a theory, so I don't want to say anything before I can be at least marginally sure." Shutting her book resolutely, she tucked it under her arm. "Let's just say that I'm going to go ask McGonagall if I can add a class to my schedule."

Ron snorted. "Only you would think of adding more classes, Hermione. As long as you don't drag the rest of us into it. This isn't like the old system anymore, you know."

"What class did you have in mind?" Harry asked curiously as she opened the door and glanced down both ends of the now empty corridor.

"Ghosts and Exorcism." Hermione smiled tightly. "I sat in on one of the classes a few days ago. It's for seventh years of course, but the professor didn't mind. He even welcomed me back. Now, if you two don't mind, I think we'd better hurry to supper before we're missed."

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"So what did it say?"

Malik sighed, glancing around at the otherwise empty bathroom with its two shower stalls, single tub sunk into the floor, and twin sinks set into the marble counter. "Doesn't this seem extremely undignified to you two? Reduced to holding secret meetings in the dormitory bathroom at one in the morning."

"It's the best we can do," Ryou said reasonably. "Now spill. We all know that look on your face. Who died?"

For once, Malik was not in the mood to fool around. Taking the letter from inside his robes, he handed it wordlessly to Yugi. Unfolding it, the spiky-haired teen read it aloud, the confusion growing with every word. It wasn't a very long message, barely more than a few lines:

"Dear Master Malik, we apologize profusely for disturbing you so suddenly but there has been trouble. It's urgent and we've been searching everywhere for you. Please, it is vital that we discuss it with you in person, perhaps tomorrow at midnight in the Room of Clocks?" Yugi trailed off, glancing up. "It's signed Y, K, and Q."

"The Room of Clocks," Ryou repeated, thinking. "Isn't that where the seventh year dormitories are located?"

Malik frowned, nodding slowly. / Ishtar, do you remember which of our Ghouls were seventeen/

// Never paid much attention to their ages, just their skills. //

The other two were watching him with concern. "Are you going? You know, it could be a trap."

"Do you see this?" Leaning forward, Malik indicated a swirling pattern drawn in dark violet ink in the lower left hand corner of the page. Seen from the front, it resembled a serpentine dragon with the great, feathered wings of an eagle or a phoenix. "This was the sigil I used while I was still with the Ghouls. I cursed it so that no one who was not one of my loyal followers could use it without—penance."

"I thought you disbanded the Ghouls a long time ago," Ryou interrupted, his brow furrowing.

"I did." Taking the letter back, Malik folded it once more and hid it. "That's why this is so serious."

"You're going then." It was not a question this time but Yugi still looked worried. "Do you want us to come with you?"

The Egyptian considered this for a moment then shook his head. "No. I have to do this on my own."

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AN: Thank you for reading and please review!


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